


Stood Up

by beeyouteaful



Category: British Actor RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-21
Updated: 2015-12-18
Packaged: 2018-02-18 05:34:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 26,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2337032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeyouteaful/pseuds/beeyouteaful
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom visits his sick classmate who's having a bad week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stood Up

**_“I have to go to dinner with my family, but afterward we can hang out and walk around at the mall maybe? ...And the three other people who want to hang out with me can come too haha?”_ **

I read the text from my best friend with a heavy heart. I was disappointed. Here, I thought we were going to spend a quiet night out, just the two of us, and walk around the park together.

I sighed as I typed my response: _“Maybe we should just try another night.”_

**_“Well I want to hang out with you, I don’t wanna sit here and look stupid.”_ **

What did that mean? I thought she was already hanging out with three other people! I tossed my phone on the chair across the room and sighed again as I heard the message tone go off. She knew I had been sick for the past few days and was quarantined up in my room all day. We made plans to hang out with each other two days ago. I just wanted to go outside and talk to someone. I wanted fresh air. But I guess I wouldn’t be getting that anytime soon.

For the past four days I had been stuck in my bed watching Netflix and drinking soup. I don’t think I had changed my clothes at all. I showered, but I just got back into the same pajamas that I was in. I probably smelled so bad. My long, tangled hair was definitely not worthy to be in anyone’s line of sight.

I was sick of being sick. My whole house was filled with stale air. I just wanted to breathe. You could say I was getting cabin fever, I guess. No one had visited me all week. My parents were both out of town on separate business trips, so I had no one to take care of me. I drove myself to the Urgent Care Center to get myself checked out after Day 3 of vomiting after eating anything. They told me I had a stomach virus and that I might have to go to the hospital to make sure I didn’t die of dehydration. A great start to my senior year of high school, huh?

Hot tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and threatened to spill over. I was so alone. There was no one around to take care of me, and even if I could conjure up the strength to go outside, there was no one for me to see. I felt empty, and it had little to do with the fact that I didn’t have anything in my stomach. I flopped down on the couch and sobbed into the cushion. I felt pathetic. Soon, the constant ringing of my phone annoyed me enough to the point where I had to answer it.

_**“You can meet me at the mall if you want, and I’ll be there soon.”** _

I sighed. _“Okay.”_ I pushed myself up from the sofa and shuffled up the stairs to my bedroom. I threw on a sweatshirt and some jeans, sprayed myself with a little perfume, and brushed my hair. I grabbed my keys and my wallet, slipped on some flip flops, and left the house.

 

* * *

 

I waited at the mall for an hour. In that hour, I had tried on half the shoes in _Payless_ , drank two bottles of water, perused the whole back wall of the music section of _Barnes & Noble_, and sampled six different product versions of the same _Bath & Body Works_ scent. After I was convinced that she wasn’t going to show up, I left—but not without buying some hand lotion first.

As I walked to my car, the tears started to build up in my eyes again. I can’t believe she would just stand me up like that. I unlocked the doors and sat in the drivers seat. Then, the waterworks started. I hit my head against the steering wheel and let it sit there as the horn blew for a good 10 seconds before I pulled back. There was a man standing in the parking space in front of me who stared for a minute before getting in his car and pulling away. I dried my eyes with my sweatshirt sleeve, started my car, and went home.

I couldn’t get inside fast enough. There was a constant stream of hot tears running down my cheeks, which inevitably made my mascara run. The old lady who lived next door was in her garden watering the plants—a little strange, since it was 8 PM. She must have heard my sobbing and decided to ask me what was wrong. I told her I just had a bad day, and she told me to feel better and let her know if I needed someone to talk to. I politely thanked her and practically knocked my door down to get inside. I locked the door and climbed the stairs to change into something more comfortable. I decided to put on a tank top, running shorts, a big zip-up sweater, and some really fuzzy socks. I descended and walked back into the living room to fall into my couch. My message tone went off.

 _ **“Hey, what’s up?”** _ Seriously?

_“I’m at home.”_

**_“Oh.”_ **

_“Why?”_

**_“Just wondering cuz you never texted to meet up.”_ **

_“You told me to meet you at the mall and that you’d be there soon. I waited for an hour.”_

**_“Why didn’t you text me?”_ **

_“Because you said you’d be there soon!”_

**_“Well, if you were waiting for an hour why didn’t you call? I was waiting for you to say you got here.”_ **

_“Because I thought you said were coming!”_

**_“Dude, this makes no sense. Why wouldn’t you have asked where we were meeting then? And like, what?”_ **

_“I got to the mall at 7. You literally told me you were coming soon! So I waited for you to show up and you didn’t!”_

I threw my phone on the floor and sobbed into the cushions for the second time today. After about 30 minutes of constant crying, I calmed myself down enough to make some tea. Just as I put the kettle on the stove, there was a knock at my front door. _I should just pretend I’m not home,_ I thought. I stood in the dimly lit kitchen for about 2 minutes until the knocking started again. _Fuck, Mrs. Jameson, You just don’t quit, do you?_

I padded down the hallway to the front door and flicked the porch light on. I pulled the door open just in time to see Tom raise his hand to knock again.

“Hi Jessie.”

“Tom?” I croaked.

“Yeah. I didn’t see you at school this week. I wanted to bring you all the homework you missed in our English class.” Tom rubbed the back of his neck in the way most guys did when they were embarrassed. “Were you—Are you crying?”

“It’s fine.” I crossed my arms over my chest to keep myself warm against the chilled October air.

“Are you sure? What’s wrong?” Tom asked. I felt the tears yet again. I stared at him for a few seconds before I shook my head and choked out a sob. He stepped forward and pulled me into his embrace. I fisted my hand in his shirt and gasped out what happened tonight. Tom rubbed gentle circles on my back while saying “it’s okay” and making quiet “shushing” noises.

“Thank you,” I whispered into his chest.

“For what, Jessie?”

“For checking up on me.” I sniffled and hugged Tom tighter. He was one of the last people I would expect to visit me. I was the Captain of the Cheerleading Squad and our school’s Field Hockey team. He was the president of the Drama, Poetry, and Shakespeare clubs. We didn’t cross paths much, except for during classes. Every girl fawned over him—including me, but I won’t get into that.

“Come on, let’s get you inside. Your tea is waiting.”

“I—wha—” I pulled away from him and heard the screeching of the tea kettle in the kitchen. He took my hand in his.

“May I?” He gestured toward the interior of my house, and I nodded. He led me in through the door, and then I led him to the kitchen. “You have a beautiful home.”

“Thank you. Would you like tea? I have vanilla chai and Earl Grey. I’m guessing you’d like the Earl Grey because you’re from England. Oh god, that sounded so arrogant. I’m sorry.”

Tom chuckled. “Jessie, it’s alright. And, yes. Earl Grey for me, please.” I smiled sheepishly as I reached up and grabbed two mugs from the cabinet. My sweater and tank top rode up so my lower back stuck out, and I could feel Tom’s eyes watching my skin there. I probably stayed in that position for a bit longer than I should have just to give him a good look. Once I “picked the perfect mugs,” I grabbed the tea bags from the rack in the corner of the counter and placed them inside before pouring the hot water in to steep the leaves.

“Do you want milk or sugar or anything?”

“Yes. Where is it? I’ll get it for you.”

“Tom, you don’t have to—”

“I insist, Jessie.” I turned around to face him and practically lost all my words in his dazzling blue eyes.

“Sugar...” I said. He smiled at me and I swear I almost fainted. “That door over there… Top shelf.” Tom nodded and sauntered around the island counter. His ass was so cute in his dark-grey sweatpants. Not to mention, his legs went on for miles. Somehow, just his presence made my mood lighten 10 times from what it was before.

“And the milk, darling?” _‘Darling…’ He called me ‘Darling.’_

“In the fridge. On the right door.” I turned back toward the mugs and grinned to myself as I dipped the tea bags in and out of the hot water. I felt Tom’s warm body directly behind mine as he reached around me to put the sugar and milk on the counter. I felt a giggle bubble up inside me but I suppressed it, which only caused me to shake from the pressure.

“Are you cold?” Tom asked, his velvety, british accent right in my ear. I shivered again.

“No, I think I just have the chills.” He backed away and leaned against the island with his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants. “How do you take your tea?” I asked with my back still facing him.

“I can make it myself, Jessie,” he offered.

“No, it’s alright. Just tell me how you take it.” Tom chuckled again and told me. I proceeded to stir in his desired amount of milk and sugar in his tea.

“Thank you.” He took the mug from me, and I led him into the living room and flicked on the lights. The floor lamp in the corner filled the room with soft, yellow light, but it still left it fairly dark. I told Tom to sit on the sofa while I put on some music. I set down my mug on the coffee table and crossed the room to the entertainment center. I kneeled down to look through the cabinet of vinyl records I had. I pulled out a random R&B album and opened the adjacent cabinet to reveal my vintage, 1970’s record player. I slid the disc out of its cover and placed it gently over the spindle. I turned on the turntable and placed the needle on the record as it began to spin.

“Is that a record player?” Tom asked from the sofa.

“Yeah. It’s vintage. It was my grandmother’s.” The music began to play. The first song was “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” by Elvin Bishop.

“I love this song,” Tom commented.

“Me too.” I sat back down and picked up my mug of tea. We sat in silence and enjoyed the music and each other’s company.

“What does your mug say?” He asked. I turned it around to read it and then showed him.

“‘Queen of Everything.’ My friend got it for me from Disney World.” I sipped my tea.

Tom smiled, bemused. “It’s fitting.” I didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or an insult. Who am I kidding? It was a compliment. This kid was full of them.

There was a silence before the next song played. I grinned to myself.

“A penny for your thoughts?” Tom asked. I smiled wider.

“This is my favorite song on this album. It’s called ‘Me and Mrs. Jones’ by Billy Paul.”

“Doesn’t Michael Bublé sing this?”

“He did a cover, yeah. It’s not his song though,” I told him. Tom stood up suddenly and I stared up at him before he held out his hand to me. I gave him a confused look, and he laughed.

“Would you like to dance?” I nodded and set my mug on the coffee table before taking his hand. He led me to the center of the room and placed my hands around his neck, while his found their way around my waist. Tom pulled me close to him and began to sway slowly to the music. I gazed up at him, and he glanced down at me. I smiled and looked away. I rested my head against his chest and inhaled deeply. He smelled like spice and safety and something all his own. The smooth sounds of the Saxophones washed over me with the warmth from Tom’s body. I took a peek back up at Tom, and he was still looking down at me. I smiled at him, and he smiled back.

“Hi,” he said, his voice smooth and velvety.

“Hi,” I replied. We stared into each other’s eyes. I couldn’t tell if it was from the lighting in the room or not, but Tom’s pupils were blown wide.

“You have beautiful eyes, Jessie.” I felt myself blush.

“You do too, Tom.” He smiled down at me.

“Your freckles make it look like you have the night sky littered across your cheeks. It’s breathtaking, Jessie.”

“Thank you, Tom.” Our faces grew closer together.

“Your lips are...gorgeous, Jessie.” I could feel his breath on my face.

“So are yours, Tom,” I breathed, just a second before his lips met mine in a sweet kiss. His lips were as soft as a cloud. I never thought I would actually get to kiss him. President of the Drama club and Captain of the Cheerleading Squad… The best combination. Once we broke from each other, I rested my head back on Tom’s chest.

“I hope you don’t get sick.” Tom chuckled, and we continued swaying. His warmth engulfed me, and I don’t think there is any place I’d rather be for the rest of my life other than in his arms.

“Can I tell you something, Jessie?” I nodded. “I’ve had a crush on you since I moved here 4 years ago.”

“Can I tell you something, too, Tom?” He hummed. “I’ve had a crush on you ever since you moved here, too.”

“Look at all this time we’ve wasted,” he laughed. “I feel like I’ve been with you for years.”

“I feel the same way, Tom.” I felt myself growing drowsier between the warmth of his body and the medicine I’d been taking. “Tom, I know this is a little sudden,” I mumbled into his shirt, “but my parents are out of town until Sunday. Would you… Would you like to stay the night?” Tom ran his fingers through my hair.

“Only if you want me to,” He kissed the top of my head.

“I do.”

He squeezed me tighter. “Then, I will.”

“Would you be comfortable sharing my bed?”

“Only if you are, Jessie.”

“I am.” I pulled away from his embrace to turn off the record player and put everything away. Tom took the mugs to the kitchen and rinsed them out. Once he returned to me, I took his hand in mine and led him up the stairs to my bedroom.

“Are you alright with me in my boxers and my shirt?” He asked. What the gentleman.

“Of course. Whatever makes you feel comfortable.” I took off my sweater and socks, so I was left in my tank top and shorts. I quickly removed my bra from under my shirt and threw it in my clothing basket. I climbed into my queen-sized bed and beckoned for him to join me. Tom climbed on top of the duvet and I laughed.

“You can come under the covers if you want.” He smiled sheepishly and pulled the duvet back. I scooted over closer to him, and he wrapped his arms around me. “You’re so warm.”

“Get some sleep, darling. You’ll need it to feel better.” I nodded.

“Goodnight, Tom.” He kissed my nose.

“Sweet dreams, Jessie.” I curled into his chest and fell asleep immediately with his warmth and scent all around me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, those text messages were all actually from a real conversation that I had with my best friend tonight... who stood me up at the mall. Talk about a let down, am I right? I only wish I could have Tom to comfort me too. *sigh* I hope you enjoyed this!


	2. Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up to a voice mail from your dad, and after you get sick, you decide to spend the rest of your day with Tom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect to make this multiple chapters (and I definitely didn't expect them to be this long), but I couldn't get this out of my head! I'm still working on my other stories as well, and I'm not sure if I will continue this one yet.

My throat felt constricted, and it was getting harder to breath. I tried to inhale, but I couldn’t. At some point, my ears started to ring until it was unbearably loud. There was darkness all around me, swallowing me up, and I felt like I was spinning. I just _needed to breathe._

 

I jolted awake, coughing and gasping for air. It took me a moment to regain my bearings, and looking around the room, I felt as if it had all been a dream. My bed was cold and empty, but Tom’s sweatpants still lingered on the floor. I sighed happily. _So I wasn’t dreaming_ , I thought. I threw off my covers and swung my legs over the bed. I grabbed my phone from the nightstand and checked my voicemails. I had two: one from mom, and one from dad. My stomach clenched at the thought that both of my parents had been hurt on their trips. Thankfully, they hadn’t.

_“Hey, Pumpkin. I’m sorry that your mom and I can’t make it home any sooner. Oddly enough, we both got tied into staying another week on our separate trips. I’m going to put $200 in your bank account so you can go grocery shopping and buy yourself some things that you would like for your birthday. I’m really, really sorry. Mom and I both really wanted to come home for your 18th, and we were already going to be late a day. I feel so awful, Jessie. I hope you can forgive us. I love you, and stay safe. No wild parties. Oh, and don’t forget to take your medicine.”_

A whole extra week? That just seemed so long to me. They had already been gone for a week! And they were going to miss my 18th birthday… _My 18th birthday...is today._ I sat in shock for a minute.

“I’m 18,” I blurted. Suddenly, I stood and ran to the bathroom. I’m not sure if it was the anxiety from suddenly being a legal adult, or because I was still sick, but I promptly fell to my knees and vomited into the toilet as soon as I got through the doorway. After I finished my fits of dry heaving, I wiped my mouth with toilet paper and flushed it along with the contents of my stomach. Groaning, I stood shakily and brushed my teeth at least four times and then finished my cleanse with some mouthwash.

I made my way downstairs looking like a hot mess. As soon as I got to the bottom of the steps, the smell of French toast hit me. Surprisingly, throwing up everything that I ate from last night left me feeling pretty hungry. I shuffled into the kitchen and saw Tom standing over the stove in his loose shirt and boxers. I grinned as I snuck up behind him quietly.

“Whatcha doin’?” Tom was visibly startled but then chuckled as he turned around.

“Making you breakfast,” he answered with a smile. “Happy birthday, Jessie!” I grinned wider.

“You remembered?”

Tom nodded. “Of course, darling!” He pulled me into a tight embrace and took care to keep the greasy spatula away from my back. “If you would allow it, I’d like to spend it with you.”

“That would actually be great, Tom.” My smile faded. “Because my parents are gone for another week.”

“Oh, Jessie. I’m so sorry.” He pulled away to look at me.

“It’s alright. It wouldn’t be the first time they had to change plans. I’m used to it.” Tom turned around quickly to flip the French toast and then turned back to me.

“Well, we’ll just have to celebrate a little bit extra, then.” Tom smiled. I giggled and looked away, blushing. It was weird, this dynamic that we had. I felt like I had known him for so long. And it isn’t like I just met him, but before now, we never really spent time with each other. I just felt so _comfortable_.

“How did you know French toast was my favorite?”

Tom chuckled. “One time—I think it was last year—we played the ‘Two Truths and a Lie’ icebreaker game in our history class. Your lie was that you hated French toast, and I debunked that. I’ve just kept it in the back of my head until it was of use.” He smiled sheepishly. “Now that I say it out loud, it sounds a little strange.”

“No, Tom,” I said. “That’s absolutely adorable.” He blushed and looked away. “And I happen to remember that you know all the words to ‘Hips Don’t Lie.’”

“Shakira, Shakira.” We both laughed. “Are you ready to eat?”

“Yes, very ready. But I have to take my medicine first because I’m supposed to take it before I eat.”

“I’ll get you some water so you can take it then.” Tom began to reach for the cup cabinet, but I stopped him.

“Oh no,” I began. “I _wish_ I could take it with water. No, this stuff is absolutely repulsive. They gave me a liquid.” My face contorted into a grimace. “I’m gonna need like 3 gallons of orange juice.”

“Well, considering that will kill you, I will give you a cup of orange juice instead.”

I pouted and then turned to get my medicine from the cabinet. I could taste it in my mouth already, and I gagged. Tom asked if I was alright and handed me the glass. I took a spoon from the drawer and poured the red liquid on it.

“I don’t want it…” I whined, staring at the medicine and making sure I didn’t spill any.

“Jessie, you need it. Don’t you want to feel better?”

“I do… But maybe not _too_ badly.”

“If you don’t take your medicine, I’m going to eat your French toast.” I whipped my head to look at Tom. He grinned wolfishly at me.

“I’ll kick you out if you do that.”

“So take it, then.” He smirked, and I sighed.

“You win this round, Hiddleston,” I joked. He laughed at me, and I turned my head to face the spoon again. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried not to think of the disgusting, fake cherry flavor. I let out a small whimper before shoving the spoon in my mouth. The rancid liquid sat on my tongue for longer than I expected. I swallowed hard and immediately reached for the juice, promptly chugging it. Once I finished, I gagged a bit and had to stand over the sink, taking deep breaths for a few minutes to keep myself from vomiting everywhere. Tom rubbed gentle circles on my back to curb the nausea. After about 5 minutes of almost puking all over the place, it finally subsided, and I could eat the breakfast Tom prepared for me.

“So, what would you like to do for your birthday?” Tom asked. I swallowed the bite of French toast that was in my mouth before answering.

“I don’t know. We could go to the mall?”

“How about we go to the mall and walk around for a while. And then, we can go to the grocery store to pick up some ingredients so I can make you a nice birthday dinner?”

“Tom, you don’t have to do that for me.” I smiled.

“I insist,” Tom said. “Anything else you’d like to do?”

“Hmm… Well, we can do all of that, possibly rent a movie, _and_ we can stop by your house on the way back so you can get pajamas and maybe your toothbrush?” I grinned at him and winked.

“Are you inviting me to stay another night? Because if that’s what this is, I may just have to accept.”

“Well, if we’re going to be playing house, you’re going to need some fresh clothing other than those sweatpants that seem to have made a home on my bedroom floor.”

“We’re playing house? Only if I get to be the boyfriend,” Tom laughed.

“I’m glad we’re on the same page, because I wanted to be the girlfriend.”

“Then I guess it’s settled. Though, we will have to stop at my house before we go to the mall so I can put on some decent clothes for the public. Can’t run around outside in my pants. I mean, ‘underwear.’”

I laughed. “Are your parents okay with you staying at my house again tonight? …or all week?”

“I’m sure I can get my mum to agree.”

Tom and I finished cleaning up the dishes from breakfast as we discussed our plans for the day. Then we went back upstairs so we could get ready. Tom helped me pick out an outfit to wear to the mall. He chose a white, open back dress with quarter sleeves. I decided on a pair of gold flats to wear with it. I pulled back a few strands of my golden hair from behind my ears and created a braided headband by pinning them over my head. I let a few of my curls fall and frame my face.

“You look absolutely regal,” Tom said. “Almost like you belong on Mount Olympus.” I smiled at him in my vanity mirror and applied just a smidge of mascara to my eyes.

“Are you _really_ sure you’re a high school boy and not an 18th century prince?” I laughed. Tom chuckled as he bowed slightly.

“A time traveller never reveals his true identity.” I slapped his chest playfully. “Besides, princes don’t cook for others.” He stood behind me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “We look like we could be related. We have the same hair.” Tom said, running his hand through my long curls.

“Well, I’m glad we’re not.” I stood and turned to face him. “Because then, I couldn’t do this.” Cupping his cheeks in my hands, I brought his face down to mine and kissed him chastely. His lips were soft against mine. Tom wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him. I pulled back and put my hands against his chest. I felt safe and warm in his embrace.

“Are you ready to go, darling?” I nodded and Tom took my hand in his as we walked downstairs. I grabbed my purse and phone. Tom pulled his keys from his pocket and we walked out the door. He opened the car door for me, and I thanked him before I hopped in. He sauntered around to the driver’s side and started the engine. The car smelled just like him.

“When we get to my house, would you like to come in? Or would you rather stay in the car?”

I thought for a moment. I had never met Tom’s mother or sisters. His eldest sister was probably off at college, but his younger sister, Emma, was most likely at home.

“I think I’ll stay in the car.” Tom nodded, and we continued through town to his house. It took about 5 minutes to arrive.

“I’ll be quick. Don’t miss me too much, Jessie.” He winked as he exited the car. I watched him walk up to the porch and disappear through the front door. He left the keys in the ignition, so I skipped through some of the radio stations until I found a decent one. I couldn’t stop looking at how big his house was. It was even bigger than mine, and it looked so pretty on the outside. There was a white picket fence surrounding the perfectly manicured lawn, a beautiful garden in front of the raised porch, and a big oak tree in the backyard. I could only imagine what the inside looked like.

Tom reappeared after about 10 minutes with a duffel bag and his green backpack. He put on a nice pair of jeans and a white v-neck. His blond curls bounced as he hopped down the steps and walked to the back of his car. He threw everything in the trunk and got back in the car.

“Ready?” he asked. I hummed in agreement, and he started the car and sped off.

“Did you match with me on purpose?” I asked. Tom looked down at his shirt and chuckled when he realized it was the same color as my dress.

“It wasn’t intentional, no.”

We got to the mall in 30 minutes. We would have gotten there faster, but there was a car in front of us that drove _so slow_ the whole way there. When we walked in, I pulled Tom directly into the shoe store. If there was one material thing I loved the most, it was a nice pair of shoes. Immediately, I found the high heels. There was a cute pair of black, Christian Louboutin pumps on the shelf. I asked the sales associate for the shoes in my size. I was giddy with excitement to try them on. The woman came out of the back with the shoe box.

“You two are a very cute couple.” She smiled at us.

“Thank you,” I replied.

I placed the shoes on the floor and stepped into one. I wobbled and let out a little yelp. Tom grabbed my arm and helped me stabilize myself. I thanked him and stepped into the other shoe.

“Hey, I’m finally as tall as you.”

“Oh, no. Those definitely will not do, then,” Tom joked, waving me off. I tried to walk back and forth across the store in them, but they were an inch taller than I was used to. As I was practicing, I heard Tom chuckle from where the original shoes were. I turned to look at him, and he was holding it in his hand

“What’s up?” I asked as I approached him.

“Those shoes are $845. Don’t you think that’s a little cheap for your tastes?” I laughed as I stepped out of the them.

“Well, you’re one to talk. You’re the eloquent 18th century prince.”

“Then that means you’re my princess now. They’re unworthy of gracing your feet.” We laughed together as I put the shoes back in their box and handed them to the employee.

“Come on, let’s go to the other shoe store.” We walked out hand in hand.

Once we got to the opposite side of the mall, Tom led me into the store and right to the section with the TOMS. I smiled to myself as I sat on the bench and waited for Tom to pick out a pair for me.

“I heard that you wanted these for a long time,” he said as he held up the shoes I had told my best friend that I wanted. “Do you still want them?”

“Well, yes, but—”

“Then I’ll buy them for you.”

“Oh my god, no, Tom. You’re not buying me a $50 pair of shoes.”

“It’s your birthday, Jessie.”

“But you’re already making me dinner tonight.”

“And I want to buy you something nice for your birthday! Please, let me do this, Jessie. I want to give you everything,” Tom blurted. I stared up at him with wide eyes. _He wants to give me everything? We’ve been together for less than a day…_ I sighed and looked at my feet.

“Are you sure?” I whispered. Tom lifted my chin with his fingers.

“Yes, Jessie.”

“But they’re so expensive…” I looked down again.

“Darling, it’s really nothing.” Tom put the shoes down and squatted in front of me so I was looking at him. “My family has a lot of money, and I’m not trying to brag or rub it in your face or anything! I want to treat you like a princess. I’ve liked you from afar for a very long time, and I’ve seen how your ex treated you. Whenever I saw him ignore you for other girls, I wanted to go up to him and punch him in the mouth and scream at him until he realized that he was treating you so poorly. I wanted to hug you and tell you that it would be okay and that I was here to comfort you. But I just watched because we come from very different social groups. Now I realize how stupid that was and how much time I’ve wasted, and I want to make up for it by giving you nice shoes and anything else you could ever wish for.”

By now, I started tearing up. Tom was very overwhelming. Not only did he want to buy me expensive things, but he wanted to love me. To any other person, it would seem like this was moving _way_ too fast. He would seem pushy and even a little creepy, but to me, it meant the world. I had feelings for Tom since before my ex kicked me to the curb. It really felt like he and I were meant to be, and I know that sounds childish, but that’s how I felt. And I never felt this about anyone before.

“Oh, Jessie. Don’t cry,” Tom said, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb.

“I’m sorry,” I sniffed. “No one has ever said anything like that to me before.” I didn’t care how ridiculous it looked, but I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around him. I cried silently into his chest. Tom held me tight and shushed me just like last night.

Once I settled down, he lifted me back up to sit on the bench while he placed the shoes on my feet.

“How do they feel?” he asked.

“They fit perfectly, Tom.” I rubbed the leftover tears from my eyes and looked at my fingers. My mascara had run during my sobbing. I gasped and looked at Tom’s white shirt. There was black mascara right below the “v.”

“What’s the matter, darling?”

“I ruined your shirt,” I told him. He looked down and chuckled.

“That’s one more thing to remind me of you.” He grinned.

After that, Tom paid for the shoes and kept talking about how now everyone would know I was his girlfriend, but I said that a lot of other girls wore TOMS, too. He told me they weren’t the same because they weren’t TOMS from Tom. We had lunch at Chipotle and afterward, I bought Tom a new white v-neck. We drove to the grocery store and I helped Tom pick out some ingredients. He told me he was going to make me chicken and broccoli alfredo, and I almost squealed out loud because it was my favorite. We bought fresh chicken breast, broccoli, and home-made fettuccine. I picked out Strawberry Cheesecake _Ben and Jerry’s_ ice cream for dessert. We chose a movie from redbox as well.

Once we got home, Tom began to cook, and I sat at the island counter admiring his cute butt. He let me wear his sweatpants and t-shirt from last night. He asked me why I wanted to wear them because they probably smelled, but I just smiled and told him that was the point. Wearing his clothing was like getting a big hug from him.

“So how did you convince your mom that you were staying here for the week?” I asked.

“I told her my friend is sick and needs someone to make sure she doesn’t die. It’s not a complete lie,” he said, smiling.

Tom’s alfredo was _so_ delicious. When I took my first bite, I audibly moaned at the taste and promptly blushed. Tom laughed and sat down next to me. We talked about school and friends, cheerleading, and drama club. He also talked a little about his family.

After dinner, we washed the dishes and headed to the living room with some hot apple cider and ice cream. I popped in the movie and we cuddled on the couch. I rested my head on Tom’s shoulder, and by the end of the movie, I was falling asleep. His arm was draped around my shoulders and he rubbed his hand up and down my arm. Soon, Tom suggested that we go upstairs to bed. I agreed.

To my surprise, he actually carried me, bridal style, up the stairs.

“My hero,” I said into his shoulder. He chuckled as he softly kicked the door to my room open. He set me down on the bed and covered me up before climbing in next to me. I layed my head on his warm chest and listened to his heart beat slow down. This was bliss.

“I love you, Jessie,” Tom whispered.

“I love you, too, Tom,” I replied without hesitation. And then, I fell asleep.


	3. Sunday Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You wake up in Tom's arms and choose to spend a quiet day out together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I've decided to continue this fic (I love high school AU Tom *heart eyes emoji*). 
> 
> Sorry for any errors in here. I haven't thoroughly proofread this chapter because I wanted to get it out to you guys right away!
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos! 
> 
> <3 Bee

Light streams from the sun filtered in through my curtains. I was watching the dust float around in the air as I lay in my bed with my back against Tom’s chest. When I had woken up, he was still asleep, and so, as to not wake him, I stayed wrapped in his embrace and listened to the sounds of the street outside. Tom’s breathing was soothing. It kept me feeling relaxed and calm. Today was Sunday; the lazy day. I peered at my alarm clock and sighed happily to see that it was just approaching 11 o’clock in the morning. Sleeping in was one of my favorite feelings, and the fact that I had someone to wake up to made it even better. I shifted around so I was facing Tom now, and I traced the line of his jaw softly with my index finger. The cool Autumn breeze blew in through my open window, and I silently revelled at the feeling of the cold air against my back, and Tom’s warm body against my front. I was still in his clothing, which, combined with his actual body next to mine, allowed his natural scent to engulf me.

I had forgotten all about my parents’ trip extension because Tom had kept my mind off of it the whole day before. And to tell you the truth, I didn’t mind it at all. Having Tom here to keep me company was all I could wish for right now.

Tom shifted slowly so his back was on the bed now. I moved with him and rested my head on his firm chest. _This is perfect_ , I thought.

Suddenly, my phone started to vibrate under my pillow. I turned away from Tom and reached behind my head to quickly answered it.

“Hello?” I mumbled.

_“Jessie! Oh thank god you picked up. I totally forgot to wish you a happy birthday yesterday! I feel so bad. Can you forgive me?”_ asked my best friend.

“Yeah, sure thing. Thank you.”

_“We need to celebrate! How about I pick you up and we can go out to lunch?”_

“Actually,” I was silent for a moment before I continued. I didn’t know how to tell her that I was spending the week with my other friend― _boyfriend_ ―and that I really didn’t want to see her because of what happened on Friday. “I have other plans for today. Tom and I are hanging out today.”

_“Tom?!”_ she squealed. _“The cute, dreamy British kid? Oh my god, Jessie! How did you score a day with that total babe?!”_

“He came over with my English homework on Friday night, and he asked if I had plans for the weekend. I said no, so he decided to keep a sick girl company,” I whispered.

_“Why are you so quiet? Is something wrong?”_

“What? Noooo, no. I’m fine. It’s all good,” I tried to play it off, but I ultimately failed. Tom stirred beside me.

“Mmmm... Darling…” he mumbled. My muscles tensed. _Shit, I woke him up._

_“What was that? Is that Tom?”_

He wrapped his arms around my torso and pulled me close to him, and I immediately relaxed. I giggled as he nuzzled his nose in my hair.

“No, it was the TV in the background. I’m watching _Casablanca_.” She had never seen it, so there’s no way she would know I was lying.

_“Oh, okay. Well, call me if you have any room for us to hang!”_

“Will do.” I hung up. Throwing my phone on the carpet, I turned over to face my sleepy boyfriend.

“Good morning, Jessie,” he said with a rich and gravelly voice.

“Hello,” I giggled again.

“Who was that on the phone?”

“Just the very person who indirectly brought us together.”

“Still upset about Friday?” He kissed my nose.

“A little.”

“Well then, I’ll just have to keep you happy.” Tom kissed my nose again. I pushed some of his curls back.

“Will you start by taking me to _Starbucks_?” Tom laughed heartily.

“Of course, darling.” We laid, tangled in the sheets, for a while. I don’t even think we spoke a single word to each other. It was just me, Tom, and the soft, feather duvet.

Once we finally did get up, Tom asked if he could shower. I told him where the towels were and showed him how to turn on the hot and cold water. Part of me almost asked if I could join him, but I got a grip on myself and realized it would be a _bit_ inappropriate. Though, it did give me something to look forward to in the future.

I checked my phone and noticed that I got a text from my cheerleading coach. She asked how I was feeling and if I would make it to the football game on Friday. I told her that I was pretty sure that I would be fine to cheer, but that I’d keep her updated. I changed out of my pajamas—which were actually Tom’s clothes—and into a white blouse tucked into a lavender, a-line skirt, white flats, and a silver necklace. I pulled my hair up into a French braid and sprayed myself with my “Wild at Heart” PINK perfume. To top off my cute look, I tied a lavender bow around the hair tie at the bottom of my braid. _Perfect._

I heard my door open, and Tom sauntered in with a towel slung low on his hips. I admired the taut muscles of his back as he bent over to get some clothes out of his bag.

“Hey, Tom,” I said. He turned toward me, uttering a low “hmm?”

“Yes, darling?” My stomach flipped at the sight of his bare chest.

“You can hang your clothes in my closet. There’s room for them.” I dragged my eyes up from his torso to meet his as he replied.

“That’s quite kind of you. Thank you.” I walked next to him and helped him hang his garments.

“Damn, Haven’t you ever heard the phrase ‘pack lightly?’” I laughed.

“I had to pack this much since you’ve decided you’d like to share my clothes.” He flashed a crooked smile that made me giggle.

“Carry on, then.” After we finished filling my closet with his clothing, Tom got dressed.

“By the way, you look lovely today.”

“Thank you.” I blushed.

After Tom got ready, we headed out to his car and to the _Starbucks_ downtown. I ordered my favorite Autumn drink, a Caramel Apple Spice, and a giant chocolate chip cookie. Tom ordered tea—go figure. I paid for the drinks, even though Tom argued that he wanted to. I told him it was my turn to buy him something, and he pouted jokingly. Once the barista called our names, we took our drinks to a small corner table and sat down. Tom pulled his chair right up next to me and I leaned into his side and rested my head against shoulder. We made small talk and I enjoyed the warmth from my drink, as well as the warmth from Tom. I even shared a few pieces of my cookie with him.

After our drinks were finished, we decided to go to the bookstore down the street. It was a small, family-owned store that had been in the city since the 1890’s. The tiny building was wedged between two other huge ones, which made it extra cozy. I had been going there since I was a little girl, and I wanted to take Tom there for the first time. As Tom parked the car, I got an email notification on my phone. It was from the Student Council president.

“I just got an email about Homecoming Court voting,” I told Tom.

“Open it. Let’s see who made it.” I quickly opened the list of 12 seniors on the court—six girls and six guys.

“Moment of truth,” I said as the attachment loaded. I scrolled to the list of students and read them aloud to Tom. “Alright. The boys are: Jason Marquez, Robbie Matthews, Liam Stacey, Jonathan Abbey, Bryan Phillips, and… You! You made it on the court!” I told him. “Congratulations, Tom!”

“Wow. Thank you, darling. That’s fantastic.” His grin was a mile wide. “I can’t believe that. I’m honored.” I kissed his cheek and congratulated him again. “Read the girls now!” I complied.

“The girls are: Taylor McDowell, Stephanie Lionel, Nicole Smith, Lola Simmons, Anaiyah Jenkins, and Jessie McLaughlan.” I finished the list. “WAIT! That’s me!”

“Congrats to you!” Tom laughed. He reached over and pulled me into a hug. “Congrats to us!”

“Taylor is on the court, too… If I would win over her, she would be so pissed at me…” I thought about how excited my best friend would be to win Homecoming Queen.

“How come?”

“Well, she has always been really jealous of me. She quit cheerleading because I became captain and she didn’t. When I won the Best in Chemistry award, she didn’t talk to me for weeks. That’s not an exaggeration.”

“That’s a little ridiculous. You earned those.”

“I know. But she feels entitled to everything. She didn’t even like chemistry,” I sighed, and Tom took my hand in his.

“It’ll be fine, darling.” He kissed my nose. “If you win, it’s because you deserve it. Don’t let her get in the way of your happiness.”

“Thank you, Tom. I needed that.” He smiled at me, and we got out of the car, making our way to the bookstore. “You’ll love it in here. There are some vintage Shakespeare collections in here that I think you’ll enjoy.” Tom groaned.

“You definitely know the way to my heart.”


	4. Back to School

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Jessie's first day back after being sick for so long, but the day could not have turned out any worse.

_“Come on, Jessie…” I heard somewhere in the distance. “It’s time to wake up…” I groaned and rolled over into something smooth and firm. “Darling, come on, now. My sleeping beauty, it’s time to get ready for school.”_

My eyes fluttered open and refocused themselves. I was face-to-chest with Tom. I immediately threw my arm around him and snuggled closer.

“Five more minutes, Tommy…” I mumbled absentmindedly into his chest. I heard him chuckle lightly.

“No one calls me Tommy,” he said. I squeezed my arms around his waist.

“Sorry,” I slurred out, my speech affected by my drowsiness.

“It’s alright, Jessie. You can call me that if you really want.” He kissed the top of my head. “I won’t mind.” Tom began to rub soft circles on my back with his hand. I sighed and melted into his touch.

“You sure?”

“Of course. It sounded absolutely adorable when your sleepy voice said it. If it was anyone else, I would have hated it.”

“Okay, but only if you’re sure.”

“I am,” he stated. Finally, I rolled over and stretched my body out. My shirt rode up as I lifted my arms, and I felt Tom’s fingers tickling my stomach as I stretched. I yelped in surprise and rolled over, falling completely off the bed with another yelp. I heard Tom laugh out loud from the bed. I began to laugh, too.

“Darling, I know you’ve fallen for me, but I didn’t think you fell _that_ hard.” I laughed harder at his remark, and eventually, the two of us calmed down enough for me to get up and tackle Tom down on the bed.

“I am _absolutely_ enamored with you,” I said, planting a kiss on his lips. We laid there in each other’s embrace for a few minutes before Tom finally convinced me to get ready for my first day back at school. We washed our faces together, brushed our teeth together, and even got dressed together and helped one another pick out an outfit. For Tom, I picked out a nice pair of dark-wash jeans, a light blue v-neck shirt, and his leather jacket.

“Now,” he began. “What to pick for you…” He tapped his foot on the ground and stroked his chin in thought.

“Well,” I said, “I do have a dress that is the same color as your shirt. We could be a cute matching couple.” I smiled. “I think people would get the hint.”

“I think they’ll get the hint when we walk into the building holding hands,” Tom chuckled. “And when my lips are all over yours.” He turned me around to face him and pressed his gentle lips to mine to emphasize his point.

“So, is that a ‘yes to the dress?’” I pulled away and smiled. Tom kissed the top of my forehead and agreed. I put on the dress and Tom picked out gold jewelry to accent it. I put on my nude wedges to top the look off.

“You look positively magnificent,” he said. I snorted.

“I look like I always do.”

“You’re right; you do look beautiful.” He smirked, and I laughed aloud.

“Come on, Rick Blaine,” I joked. “Let’s leave so we can stop and get breakfast.”

“Rick Blaine? From _Casablanca_? Darling, you’re more and more wonderful every day.” He kissed me again before we went downstairs.

“We should be Rick and Ilsa for Halloween,” I joked.

“Jessie, that’s a great idea!”

“Really?” I asked. “Because I was totally kidding.” Tom turned toward me.

“Well, I think we should at least do a couple costume.” I thought for a moment.

“We could also be Jeff and Lisa from _Rear Window_ , but I don’t want to push you around in a wheelchair all night.”

“Wheelchair?” Tom asked, confused. I stared up at him with wide eyes.

“You’ve never seen _Rear Window_?” He shook his head. “I know what we’re doing after class,” I said as I grabbed his hand and pulled him out the door.

 

* * *

 

After we ate a quick breakfast at the diner, I drove us to school. Even though I was driving, Tom still jogged around to my side of the car to open the door for me after I parked. His chivalry astounded me. I still had a few suspicions about this perfect high school prince, but they were all minor and didn’t matter anymore when he kissed me. We took our school bags out of the trunk and walked through the front doors hand-in-hand. On they way to my locker, I noticed Taylor was standing there and waiting for me.

“Oh, fuck,” I muttered under my breath, slowing my walking pace.

“What’s wrong, darling?”

“I didn’t tell Taylor that you and I are together now… She’s had a crush on you for a while.” Tom stopped us and turned to face me.

“What does that matter?” He said, letting go of my hand and rubbing his against my upper arms. “Even if she is your best friend, she won’t try to get in the way of us. She should be happy for you.”

“But that’s not how Taylor is, Tom. She _will_ try and get in the way of us,” I said, looking away from him. “I don’t want that.”

“Jessie,” he said, tilting my chin up. “It won’t happen. And do you know why it won’t?”

“No, why?” I asked. Tom brought his face close to mine, almost as if he was about to kiss me. No one else mattered now; I didn’t see them.

“Because I love you. I’m in love with you,” he said. I stood up on my toes and pressed our lips together for a soft and quick kiss.

“I’m in love with you, too, Tom.” I said. He smiled at me and kissed my cheek again.

“I’m going to go to my locker. I’ll see you soon in English, my love.” He turned and walked down the hall. I stood there with the biggest grin on my face. _He called me “my love.” He’s so fucking cute,_ I thought, watching him walk away from me and disappear down another hall. That boy could make me swoon over him whenever he wanted to.

Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and my day dream was shattered.

“Jessie!” Taylor said. “You’re finally back at school!” She pulled me into an awkward hug that I wish never happened. “You look good for a sick girl. Almost as good as me.”

“Ha… Good to see you too, Tay,” I peeled her hand off my arm.

“Oh, don’t be like that! I saw you with your British boy-toy. There’s no way you could be in a bad mood after being with that for a day!” She grabbed my wrist and dragged me along to her locker.

“Well, there’s one way…” I muttered.

“What was that?” She turned toward me.

“Nothing, I was just thinking out loud.”

“Well, no more thinking! We need to talk about our plans for tonight.”

“Plans?” I asked. “What plans?”

“Our plans for your birthday! We never celebrated. There’s a party at your house tonight!” I stopped dead in my tracks.

“A party?! Please tell me you didn’t. My parents aren’t home!”

“Exactly!” She chimed. God, I wanted to punch that smile off of her face.

“You are not bringing alcohol and drugs to my house, Taylor. I’m putting my foot down.”

“But _Jessie_ ,” she whined.

“No. It’s not happening.” I pulled myself from her grip and walked in the other direction. “Besides, I already have plans for tonight.”

“What, with your new boyfriend?” Taylor asked with a snarky tone in her voice. I whipped around to face her.

“Yes, with my new boyfriend!” I yelled. The hallway got quieter, and Taylor walked toward me quickly.

“Why can’t we just throw a party at your house?!” she yell-whispered. “It’s the perfect time for it. No parents!”

“Because the last time you had a party, it got busted by the cops, and you almost went to jail overnight! No way are you having it at my house!”

“I already invited everyone!”

“You WHAT?”

“I’ll even invite Tommy if it makes you feel better!”

“Don’t call him ‘Tommy.’” I growled. “He hates it.”

I stormed away before she could reply.

 

* * *

 

 

I made my way to my AP English class. It was my favorite class of the day, simply because I could actually tolerate the people in it. First of all, Taylor wasn’t in it. It was full of intellectually stimulating people who understood everything I wanted to talk about. Second, Tom was in it and sat right next to me.

Today, though, I was in the worst mood possible because of what Taylor told me earlier. I was the first one to English every day, and so I walked right into my class—heels clicking against the linoleum floor, of course—sat down, and put my head on my desk right away. My classmates began to file in, and a few asked if I was okay. I gave them a muffled “yeah” in reply. Finally, Tom came in and sat down in the desk next to mine.

“Jessie?” he asked. “Are you alright?” I groaned and pulled myself up.

“Taylor. Is. A bitch.” Just then, our teacher walked in and began lecture. I pulled out my notebook and ripped out a piece of paper. I wrote to Tom:

 _“Taylor told me she’s hosting a party at my house tonight and already invited basically the entire senior class.”_ I felt like I was about to cry as I folded it and passed it to him. He opened it up and read my writing. I didn’t look at him as he did. I saw him put the note on his desk and write a reply.

I tried to focus on my teacher and what he was talking about. I tried writing notes down on everything he said. I really tried. But the only thing I could think about was stupid Taylor and her party.

The folded note was gently placed on my desk. I unfolded it and read what he wrote.

_“Why would she do that? Did she tell you first?”_

I picked up my pen and wrote back:

 _“No. She always does this. And it wouldn’t have been so bad if she had been like ‘Hey, Jessie, let’s have a party for your birthday. And oh, can we have it at your house?’ Even though I still wouldn’t let her host it there. She’ll bring drugs and alcohol. I don’t do that stuff. I don’t want to get caught with that at my own house when I want nothing to do with it in the first place! I don’t know what to do, Tommy… Oh, and she called you ‘Tommy,’ which pissed me off even more. Ugh. Today sucks.”_ I passed it back to him, still looking down at my notebook and trying not to cry.

“Are you passing notes?” I jumped as I heard my teacher’s voice right above me. I looked up with tears in my eyes. Everyone in class was staring at us.

“Yes, Mr. White…” I admitted, ashamed. “I’m sorry.” He must have noticed my eyes, because his face softened a little. He looked to Tom, who remained calm, despite our teacher looming over us. “It won’t happen again,” my voice waivered as a tear ran down my cheek.

“I expect it won’t.” I saw the concern on his face before he turned around and continued teaching. Tom quickly passed it back before Mr. White turned around again.

 _“Oh, darling… We can lock all the doors and keep the lights off tonight. We won’t let them in. I promise.”_ As dramatic as it sounds, a few of my tears fell and landed on the sheet of paper. _“I can see that you’re about to cry.”_ I laughed quietly at that. _“God, how I wish I could hold you and comfort you right now. Don’t let Taylor get to you, my love. She’s hurting you, and you don’t deserve that.”_ I wiped my tears from my face as gracefully as I could and straightened my back. I turned to face Tom. I mouthed “I love you,” and he smiled _so wide_ as he mouthed it back.


	5. Mob Mentality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just when the night was calming down, Taylor shows up to screw it all up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait (and for any spelling/grammar mistakes)! Enjoy!

“God, my feet are killing me,” I groaned. Tom and I walked into my house hand-in-hand.

“Well, you were wearing heels all day. I can only imagine why,” Tom said sarcastically.

“They’re cute, and they make me feel powerful. Like I can crush any stupid person with my confidence.”

“You should feel like that every day, darling.” Tom kissed me as I set my backpack down on the kitchen counter. “Can I massage your feet?”

“Ew, Tom, why do you _want_ to do that?” I turned on the radio by the window and let it play in the background.

“Because I love you,” he said. “And I don’t want your feet to hurt.” I hopped up onto the counter and lifted my foot.

“You can’t back out now, babe,” I joked. Tom chuckled and took my foot in his hands. He applied gentle pressure to the bottom. I leaned back on my hands and let my head roll back. “That feels so good, Tom.” He continued squeezing and rubbing my foot, and soon switched to the other. I let out a soft groan at the feeling of his fingers on my skin.

“How do they feel now, Jessie?”

“Perfect. Thank you.” I smiled.

We sat at the island counter in the kitchen and studied for our separate classes. Then, Tom helped me with the English work that I missed last week.

“What would you like for dinner?” Tom asked. I thought for a moment.

“How about Chinese food? We could get take out.”

“Sounds wonderful. Do you have the film you were talking about this morning? Something about a window?”

“ _Rear Window_! I do have it. If you want, we can watch it upstairs in my bed,” I began, “in case Taylor shows up and tries to come in with her party group. I don’t want her to see the TV through the living room window and know I’m home.”

“That sounds alright to me, darling. Whatever you want.” I smiled.

“Okay. Let’s order it, and we can have them deliver.”

Tom and I finished our homework and ordered the food. Once it arrived, we took it up to my room.

“One rule,” I turned around in the doorway, placing my hand on his chest to stop him from moving forward. “No eating on the bed.” Tom smiled and nodded, and I let him pass through. We made ourselves comfortable on the floor at the foot of my bed. I turned on my television, popped in the movie, and sat back next to Tom. I took my chopsticks and stole a piece of Tom’s chicken.

“Oh, now that is not fair,” he reached for my food, but I maneuvered away from him. “Get back here!” he laughed.

“No!” I screamed as he took a piece of my food. “The horror!” I dramatically threw my hand on my forehead and fell back to the floor, making sure my food didn’t spill. Tom climbed on top of me.

“Oh, my darling! What have I _done_?” he cried. “My poor, poor Jessica! You were so young.” We both laid on the floor and laughed with each other. Tom peppered my face with sweet kisses and helped me sit back up.

“It’s freezing in here!” I exclaimed as I stood up to turn the heating on.

“Come here, darling. I’m hot enough for the both of us.” He winked. I laughed out loud and plopped down next to him.

“Sounds like someone’s gotten pretty cocky ever since he got the girl,” I said. Tom kissed me on the cheek.

“I prefer the word ‘cheeky,’ thank you.” I kissed Tom on the lips and then started the movie.

After about an hour, I began to doze off. Tom and I had finished our dinner, and I put the boxes on the table by the TV. I slumped down and laid my head in Tom’s lap. He stroked his long fingers through my hair, whispering sweet nothings to me absentmindedly while his eyes were glued to the screen. I let out a soft sigh and let sleep take me.

 

* * *

 

“Jessie!” I heard from outside. I roused from my hazy slumber. I blinked a few times before I remembered where I was. I felt Tom’s steady breathing against my head, and I smiled. I sat up slowly. I looked over to Tom, who was sleeping soundly, splayed out on the floor.

“Jessie, I know you’re home!” I heard again, followed by incessant banging. I frowned.

“Tom,” I whispered, poking his arm lightly. He didn’t stir. “Tommy,” I pleaded, patting his chest. His eyes flew open and stared up at me.

“Jessie? What’s wrong?” his rumbly voice asked.

“I think Taylor’s here.” Tom sat up and rubbed his eyes. I got up and pushed my curtains aside just a bit to see outside. Taylor and about 15 other people were standing outside on my lawn. I felt Tom come up behind me.

“She brought a fucking army with her,” Tom said, looking outside. My lips twitched a bit at the sound of Tom cursing.

“That was cute,” I said, still facing the window.

“What was cute?”

“You said ‘fucking,’” I giggled, turning around to face him. He smiled down at me.

“You Americans are so funny. You know that British people curse too, right?”

“It just sounds cute to me because of your accent.”

“I think you forget that _you’re_ the one with the accent, darling.” Tom leaned in to kiss me, but we were interrupted by Taylor yelling outside again.

“Jessie, get the hell down here! It’s _your_ party for God’s sake!” I went rigid.

“What do we do? I don’t want to go down there,” I said. Tom hugged me tight and rubbed my back.

“We can call the police. They’re technically trespassing.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit extreme?”

“They could get violent. We don’t know if they ‘pre-gamed’ or not.”

“I wish my parents were home.” I began to shake.

“Jessie, it’s going to be alright. It’s okay. I’ve got you.” He squeezed me tighter into his embrace. “We can always call my mother.”

“Can we just go to your house? I parked in the back. They wouldn’t see us leave.”

“We can. Pack some clothing, and we can spend the night there.” Tom helped me pack an overnight bag, and we snuck out the back door. I was still shaking by the time I was behind the steering wheel.

“Will your mom let me spend the night? I really don’t want to impose.”

“Darling,” Tom began, taking my hand in his. “Of course she will. Especially if it compromises your safety.” I smiled as he leaned in and kissed my cheek.

“Shit!” I said. “I forgot my medicine in the kitchen.”

“I’ll go in and get it for you.”

“Are you sure? What if they see you?”

“I’ll be stealthy.” Tom opened the car door and gently closed it. He opened the wooden gate and disappeared into the backyard. It took him a few minutes, but he made it back out.

“Alright, love. Let’s go.”

We made it to Tom’s house without Taylor and her cronies spotting us. He told me to park in the driveway, and I did. He held my hand as we walked in through his back door.

“Mum?” he called. I giggled at his British mannerism.

“In the library, dear!” Tom led me to their library—which was absolutely extravagant—and introduced me to his mother.

“Mum, this is Jessica. This is the friend I told you about.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jessica.”

“Please, call me Jessie. And, the pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Hiddleston.”

“Jessie,” she repeated, trying the nickname out with a smile. “So, Thomas. What brings you home at this late an hour?”

“Well, Jessie’s birthday was on Saturday, and her friend Taylor wanted to throw her a party tonight… But she wanted to have it at Jessie’s house. Like I told you before, her parents aren’t home this week, and Taylor brought a huge group of people to loiter on Jessie’s front yard and refused to leave until she let them in. It frightened us.” Tom explained. I looked down at my feet in embarrassment.

“Well, I’m glad you came here instead of facing them.” She turned to face me. “You’re more than welcome to stay here,” she told me.

“Thank you, Mrs. Hiddleston. It means a lot to me.”

“It’s not a problem, dear. If you need anything, please, don’t hesitate to ask Thomas or myself.” I smiled in thanks, and Tom pulled me out of the room after he said goodnight to his mother.

“Any chance she knows about us?”

“Oh, most definitely. I don’t bring girls home. Not that I’ve been with a lot of girls. Or any girls, for that matter. Plus, I think Emma spilled the news to her after school today.”

“And she’s okay with us sharing a bed?”

“She won’t be bothered by it. I can tell she likes you.”

“Just by that 30 second greeting?” I asked.

“If there’s anything I know about my mother—which is a lot—she has the greatest ‘woman’s intuition’ I’ve ever seen. She smiled a _lot_. My mum definitely likes you.” I grinned as Tom led me upstairs to his bedroom.

“Holy shit,” I muttered. “Your bed is fucking huge!” Tom took my bag from me and set it down by the door.

“All the more room to cuddle with you!” He kissed the top of my head. “Come on, darling. Let’s get you to bed.”


	6. Braids

The rest of the week went by pretty fast. Of course, it was Spirit Week, and Tom and I went all out. We were twins on Twin Day, we wore cute Footie Pajamas for Pajama Day, and today we were even dressed as a cute 50’s high school couple for Throwback Thursday. Everyone seemed to love us together. There were random people that I never talked to that came up to me and told me how cute Tom and I were.

Tom’s mother had been nothing but hospitable and kind to me all week. Tom insisted that I stay with him instead of the other way around, just in case Taylor tried to start anything again. The first night, Tom made dinner for just the two of us, but tonight he made it for us, his mother, and his little sister. We all ate together so Mrs. Hiddleston and I could get to know each other better. She asked me all of the questions that moms ask when meeting their little boy’s new love interest: “Do you play sports?” “Oh, you’re a cheerleader? Do you like it?” “What are your hobbies?” “Are you and Tom in any classes together?” and of course, “What are your plans for after high school?”

I answered anything she wanted to know about me with genuine enthusiasm. She was so nice, I couldn’t help but think of my own mother when she laughed and told a bunch of corny jokes. She was the sweetest woman I’d ever met.

“You may stay as long as you like, Jessie.” She hugged me tightly, and I thanked her before Tom and I retired up to his bedroom. Before we made it through the door, I heard someone calling my name. I turned toward the voice to find Emma poking her head out of her bedroom door.

“Hi, Emma,” I said.

“Do you know how to do a plait?”

“A what?”

Tom leaned into my ear. “She means a braid.”

“Oh. Yes, I do. Would you like me to braid your hair for you?”

Emma nodded her head furiously, and I walked over to her room. I heard Tom sigh disheartedly, and I turned around and shot him an “I’ll-be-done-soon-and-you-can-have-me-all-to-yourself-in-a-few-minutes” look. He chuckled and entered his room. I turned back to Emma’s door and knocked on the frame before she told me to come in.

Her room was really messy. It looked just like mine when I was her age. There were clothes strewn everywhere, and there were tons of hair tools all over her vanity.

“My big sister Sarah usually does it, but she’s away at university. Will you do it for me?” I smiled and nodded.

“Of course, Emma. I’d love to.” I sat on her bed and she sat right in front of me on the floor. “Tell me if I make it too tight.”

“Okay,” Emma said. “I like it tight, though. It always falls out at night if it’s too loose.”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. I began to separate her hair into three parts.

“You know, I could teach you how to do it on yourself, if you want.”

“Oh please! Please teach me, Jessie! I’m tired of having to wait for Sarah to be ready to put it up. She would always make me stay up too late to wait for her.”

I asked for a brush so I could disentangle her hair before I braided it.

“So how’s the seventh grade?” I asked.

“It’s alright. I like my classes.

“Do you have many friends?”

“Yeah, actually. I have 2 best friends. One is called Billy, and the other is Janie.”

“I’m glad. It’s nice to have a few really close friends.”

“Do you have a lot of friends?”

“Not really. I only have a couple. Your brother is my closest friend, though.”

“Well, duh. You’re boyfriend and girlfriend, Jessie. You have to be.” I smiled at her.

After I finished Emma’s hair, I switched places with her. Then took my hair out of my ponytail and walked her through the braiding process.

“Alright, so you separate the hair into 3 equal sections,” I explained. “Then, you cross the furthest left part over the middle one.”

“Okay, now what?”

“Now take the right strand and cross that one over the middle piece, or the one you just moved prior.”

“It looks too loose…”

“That’s okay! It’s your first time. We’re just trying to get the motions down. It doesn’t have to be perfect just yet.” Emma sighed and asked what to do next.

“Pull the left one over the middle piece. Then the right one over the one you just moved. Keep doing that until there’s no more hair to braid.”

Emma followed my instructions, and surprisingly enough, she created a pretty great braid for her first time.

“It looks great! Good job, Emma.”

“Thank you so much Jessie!” She hugged me from behind and almost choked me.

“Alright, alright! You’ll kill me if you keep a hold on me that tight.”

“Sorry!” she laughed.

“I think it’s time for you to go to bed, Emma. Tomorrow’s Friday!”

“Goodnight, Jessie!”

“Night, Emma.” I backed out of her room and closed the door gently. I squealed as a pair of strong arms wrapped around me from behind before I could turn away from the doorway.

“She did a great job with your hair.”

“I know! I guess I’m just a great teacher, huh?” I joked. Tom chuckled

“Emma likes you.”

“And I like her. She’s a sweet girl,” I whispered. Tom kissed the top of my head and led me into his bedroom.

“Already replacing our big sister, tsk tsk.” I pushed him playfully.

“Stop it!” I grinned “You know that isn’t true. I’m just the other big sister that will shower Emma in gifts and attention.”

“You’ll spoil her.”

“Someone’s gotta do it! Girls have needs.” I sat on the edge of Tom’s bed as he looked in his closet for pajamas.

“So, that’s why you have me, then. To fulfil your needs? To shower you in gifts and give you attention?” Tom chuckled as he continued searching through his closet.

“Precisely.”

Tom turned around to kiss me. “Well, I’ll be glad to give you everything.” I squealed as he crawled on top of me and peppered my face with kisses. “I love you so much, Jessica.” I pushed his curls back from his eyes.

“I love you more, Thomas.” I kissed his lips. An involuntary shiver trickled down my spine as a rush of cold air hit me. “It’s absolutely freezing in here!”

“Here,” Tom said, getting up from the bed. “Wear one of my jumpers.” Tom handed me a huge sweater from his closet, and I slipped it on after I took off my tshirt.

“It’s so soft, oh my god.” I pulled the collar up to my nose and curled my legs up to my chest. The sleeves were so long that they covered my hands.

“ I know.” Tom smiled and climbed into bed next to me. “It’s my favorite one.”

“Oh. You probably shouldn’t have let me wear it, then,” I said, scooting closer to him, and he pulled the covers over us.

“Why’s that, darling?”

“I wouldn’t plan on getting it back...” I wrapped my right arm around his torso and curled closer to his body.

“As long as you’re mine, that sweater is yours.” He kissed the top of my head. “So long as I don’t want to wear it one day.”

“Thank you.”

“No problem, love.” I inhaled Tom’s scent deeply and sighed.

“Goodnight, Tommy.”

“Sleep well, Jessie.” He squeezed me tightly and kissed me again before we both drifted off to sleep.


	7. Homecoming

The crowd in the bleachers cheered with a vigor I had never seen nor heard in my four years at this school. It was freezing outside, I had been screaming for an hour, and now it was down to the last minute of the game. The teams were tied 49 to 49, and our boys were not about to let the other team defeat us at _our_ homecoming game on _our_ home turf. There was no way in hell.

I looked up into the student section of the bleachers, preparing myself for the last cheer of the night. My vocal chords were shot, my mouth was dry, and my throat stung, but when I saw Tom standing in the cold, freezing his ass off, and having a great time, I knew neither of us would be doing a lot of talking tonight anyway. During halftime, he came down to the cheerleading section of the field and gave me a hot chocolate. We talked during the whole marching band performance, and then Tom went back up to the bleachers to cheer with the rest of our peers.

Our team was on their fourth down with 28 seconds left on the clock. They set themselves up for the final hike, and soon enough, our players were sprinting across the field to the goal post. I don’t know a lot about the game, but with only 15 seconds left to get the ball in the end zone, I thought we were going to be in overtime.

To my and everyone else’s surprise, one of our players threw the ball all the way down the field just as he was tackled. It flew through the air in slow motion, it seemed. Everyone in the stadium waited with anticipation as it sailed down to another player in the endzone. I stopped breathing when our player let the ball slip from his hands, but in an extreme moment of luck, he dropped to the ground on his back and caught the ball into his chest.

The whole crowd behind me erupted into cheers as the clock reached 1 second. We won! Tom ran down the stairs and pulled me into an embrace. I tried to squeal, but my voice barely squeaked.

“Darling, you were wonderful! They couldn’t have done it without you!” Tom rasped. I laughed—or whatever I could manage that resembled a laugh—as he spun me around. “Come on, darling. Let’s go back home and celebrate with some tea to soothe your throat. We need to rest up for the dance tomorrow night.”

I nodded and took his hand as he led me to his car.

 

* * *

 

“You look so great! I love your dress!” I heard a girl screech to her friend as they entered the school doors. I shivered slightly and rubbed my hands up and down my arms. The mid-October air nipped at the skin exposed from my dress.

“Are you cold, darling?” Tom whispered next to me, wrapping his right arm around my waist.

“A little, yeah. This shawl isn’t doing a whole lot. I’ll be okay though.” A breeze blew past my freshly shaved legs and kissed the back of my neck. I shivered again involuntarily.

“Oh no, we’ll not have that. Take my coat,” Tom said, removing it from his shoulders and placing it around mine. “I don’t want you to get ill.”

“Thank you.” I crossed my ankles and leaned into his side. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me in tight. The line moved forward a bit and my heels clicked against the pavement as we walked. Even in the 5 inch heels, Tom was still taller than me.

“I love that sound,” Tom admitted.

“How come?”

“It sounds so… I don’t know… Classy. A confident girl in heels is my weakness.”

“Then it’s a good thing I love heels,” I laughed.

“Seeing and hearing you walk in those Louboutin pumps the other day… Mmm, it nearly knocked me unconscious!”

“Oh?” I smirked. “So then I guess you’d probably pass out if I did… _this!_ ” I stomped my feet against the ground quickly. Tom groaned jokingly and gripped my biceps in an attempt to still me.

“Jessie, dear god. I think I may die.” He said, feigning lightheadedness.

“Don’t worry, babe. I know mouth to mouth.” I turned my head and grinned, and Tom kissed me sweetly.

“Ew! Get a room,” some freshman yelled from behind us. We grinned at each other and kissed again briefly, hearing a gagging sound from behind us.

“He’ll learn,” Tom said, gazing dreamily into my eyes. He rubbed his hands over my arms again as we moved forward. “We’re almost inside, darling. You’ll warm up soon enough.”

“We could have been in sooner if I had bought our tickets in advance.”

“You didn’t know if you could come for certain, Jessie. You can’t help that you’re still ill. It’s better that we didn’t buy them earlier and then not have been able to go. We’ll get in either way. I mean, they can’t refuse the Homecoming Court.”

“That’s true. It would be a complete shame if they didn’t let the King into the dance.”

“Oh stop. I haven’t won yet. Besides, It’s going to be Jason. He’s a football player. More people know him.”

“I highly doubt that. Girls love their Brits.” I winked.

“Oh, darling. I know.” We both laughed and entered the doors to the lobby. Tom handed one of the teachers the money for our admittance, and another teacher marked our hands with a marker to show that we had paid. I overheard a few of the chaperones comment on what a cute couple we were. I grinned to myself as Tom led me into the gymnasium.

We walked under the traditional red and black balloon arch, which was covered by a black drape. As we pulled back the curtain, I gasped. The decorations were absolutely beautiful. The gym was dark, except for the hundreds of string lights hanging from the ceiling, emitting a soft glow. There were balloons tied to the bleachers, and streamers littered across the walls. I hadn’t realized that my feet were planted in place until Tom asked me if I was alright.

“I’m fine. This is just not what I expected. Every other homecoming dance has been less than spectacular. But this is beautiful.”

“Certainly not as beautiful as you are tonight.” I laughed, and Tom pulled me along to the other side of the gym to set our belongings down. “Your dress could not be more perfectly fitted to you.” I looked down at myself. It was Calvin Klein, but I bought it from _Ross_ for a discount. It was an azure, pleated, a-line dress with straps that covered my whole shoulder. It had a sort-of-v-shaped neck with an exposed, gold zipper running down the center of my back that stopped just before my butt. The whole thing fell right at my knees. Along with it, I wore a gold necklace, gold earrings, and black high heels. In all honesty, I felt like a celebrity on the red carpet.

“You look pretty sharp yourself. Almost as sharp as your dazzling cheekbones,” I laughed, running my index finger over his cheek.

“ _Darling_ ,” Tom whined. “Not here.” He looked around the room exaggeratedly. “Someone could see your spellbinding actions and fall in love with you on the spot. I can’t have any competition.” I slapped his chest playfully.

“ _You’re_ the one who’s spellbinding. You could have any girl you wanted with that mouth of yours.”

“Good thing I’ve got the only one that I want, then.” Tom smiled and kissed me. “Come on, darling. Let’s go dance.”

As we walked into the center of the gym floor, more students began to pour in through the balloon arch. As the number of people increased, so did the heat. Couples and groups of friends began to pack in around us, causing the room to becoming a bit stuffy. Still, I didn’t worry about it.

After a while, I found Taylor and we did the whole “oh my god you look so good!” screech that every other group of friends seemed to do.

“Hi, Tom,” Taylor said, unusually sweeter than normal. I’m pretty sure I caught her actually batting her eyelashes.

“Hello, Taylor. You look lovely.” I could tell Tom was just trying to be nice.

“You look great, too!” She parted from us to find her date, and I audibly sighed.

“I swear to god, if she does anything stupid tonight…” I trailed off.

“Don’t worry, Jessie. It’s going to be fine. We have each other and the whole night ahead of us.” Tom’s reassuring words made me smile.

After an hour, the president of the Student Council’s voice echoed through the gym from the speakers. He was going to announce the Homecoming King and Queen in a few minutes. Tom and I found our way into the hall along with all of the other members of the Court. We lined up two by two, each member with their matching escort, and prepared to enter the gym. Tom and I were all the way in the back. I looked up to Tom, whose arm was linked with mine, and smiled at him. He grinned back down at me.

“Moment of truth,” he whispered the words I had said earlier that week. I looked forward again, but my smile faded when I saw the bronze colored hair of Taylor’s head. Tom noticed the small change and squeezed my hand. He leaned down and whispered right in my ear; “You deserve this.”

I squeezed his hand back as my nerves calmed a bit. The Student Council president’s voice sounded from the speakers again, and all I could hear beside the cheers from the audience inside the gym was the sound of my own blood rushing past my ears. I felt my palms getting clammy, and I silently thanked whatever deities existed that Tom was not holding my hand. The names of the pairs in front of us were called and soon, Tom and I were at the front of the line waiting to be called. Finally, I heard “Jessica McLaughlin and Tom Hiddleston” come from the speakers, and I almost forgot how to walk. Tom gently nudged me forward, and we made our way through the balloon arch. The cheers were the loudest I had heard tonight, and I grinned to myself. I couldn’t tell if they were for me, for Tom, or for both of us, but it didn’t matter. I was just happy that it was happening. Once we made it to the center of the gym, along with the rest of the court, the King and Queen were ready to be announced.

“The envelope, please?” I heard the president ask. I was buzzing with anticipation, and Tom pulled me closer to him in response. “The twenty-fourteen Homecoming Queen is…” I felt my heart stop beating and my lungs stop breathing. I’m pretty sure Tom did the same. The entire gym was silent. You could literally hear a pin drop—or an envelope being ripped open. “...Jessie McLaughlin!” The entire gym erupted into applause, and it took me a minute to process what happened. I let go of Tom’s arm and my heels clicked against the wood floor as I walked forward to meet the principal halfway. I bent my neck a bit, and she placed the tiara on top of my head.

“Congratulations.” I heard her voice above the rest of the noise. I looked up at her and she smiled at me.

“Thank you,” I replied with a shaky voice. She handed me the crown for the King, as was tradition for the Homecoming Queen to crown the King. I turned around to face the court.

“And, the two thousand and fourteen Homecoming King…” I saw Tom inhale sharply. I smiled reassuringly at him, and he visibly relaxed and smiled back at me. “...Is...” I looked over to Taylor briefly. She wore her _I’m-so-fucking-pissed-right-now-but-I’m-not-going-to-tell-you-straight-up_ smile. My grin faded slightly as we made eye contact. I averted my gaze quickly. The room started to get insanely hot again as I stood before everyone in wait for the King’s name to be announced.  “...Tom Hiddleston!” The crowd roared with applause and shouts of joy as Tom’s widening smile said ten thousand words. He sauntered over to me and bowed his head so I could place the crown over top of his golden curls. He straightened back up and pulled me into his side. We both waved at everyone in the bleachers, and then Tom pulled me in for a quick kiss before whispering, “Your people adore you, Your Majesty,” and winked at me. We turned back to the bleachers and waved again.

After the crowning, everyone went back to dancing. Tom parted from me for a few minutes to go do something, and I mingled with a few friends from my AP English class who congratulated me on winning. They all seemed genuinely happy for me, and I was grateful to be friends with such nice people. Tom found me again—not like I had moved anywhere since he left—and wrapped his arms around my waist.

“My first order as Homecoming King is—”

“Oh no,” I interrupted, laughing. “This whole thing isn’t going to go to your head, is it?” Tom threw his head back in laughter at my joke.

“You didn’t let me finish. My first order as Homecoming King,” he began again, “is to have a song played specially for you.” As if it had been planned that way, the music started right after Tom spoke. I heard the sound of an upright bass being plucked from the speakers on other side of the gym. At first, I didn’t recognize the song, but as the other instruments began to play, I slowly recalled last Friday, when Tom first came over to my house.

“This isn’t the original,” I mused, grinning up at him.

“I thought we could dance to my favorite version this time.” He smiled down at me. “May I have this dance, my lady?” Tom took my hand and kissed the back of it. I laughed heartily.

“You may, good sir.” I curtsied. He wrapped his arms around me again, and we began to sway gently to the smooth beat. I rested my head on his chest. “I have a confession,” I murmured into Tom’s shirt.

“And what may that be?” He asked, kissing the top of my head, avoiding the tiara on the way.

“I love Michael Bublé.” Tom’s chest vibrated with a soft chuckle. The soft sound of Michael’s voice and the instruments washed over me, and I began to relax, though, I felt myself getting hotter and hotter as the song continued. My knees buckled, and Tom’s arms tightened around me instinctively.

“Are you alright?” he asked. I nodded, and we continued to sway slowly until the song ended. “Let’s get you some water, darling.” Tom offered me his arm to help stabilize myself. We headed out to the snack stand and bought two bottles of water. Tom led me to a bench to sit down. I sipped the cool liquid slowly, making sure I still looked somewhat composed. After Tom made sure—multiple times—that I was alright, we made our way back to the gym to dance again. Once we were back inside, Taylor bounced over to strike up some irrelevant conversation with us. Or, more likely, strike up an irrelevant conversation with Tom.

“Tommy!” I heard her screech. _Tommy? No one calls him Tommy. He hates it. He only lets me call him that._ I stopped listening to their conversation and focused on how to get away from her. At some point, Tom said something funny, and Taylor laughed exaggeratedly and put her hand on his arm for a bit longer than was acceptable. I could feel myself simmering. Eventually, Taylor’s date found us, and she introduced us to him. His name went over my head because all I could think about was how she was blatantly flirting with Tom.

The room began to spin slightly. I felt like Taylor’s date was getting way too close to me for comfort, but my legs wouldn’t listen to my brain telling them to move closer to Tom. The smell of his cologne overpowered my senses as The Creep—which is what I decided his name was—inched closer and closer to me.

“You are so fucking sexy,” he whispered in my ear and grabbed my ass. My eyes widened in shock, and I whipped my head to the side to look at Tom’s reaction. It was nonexistent. He didn’t even hear what The Creep said to me over the music. Taylor was getting closer to Tom as well, and she looked as if she was about to lean in and kiss him. I tried to speak, but no words would come out. My head pounded along with the insanely loud music, and I felt myself getting dizzier. I reached for Tom’s arm and tugged, whimpering his name. His head turned toward me, and distress washed over his features.

“Jessie?” He almost sounded like a scared child. His face was moving further away from me, and I felt my knees hit the hard surface of the gym floor. I tried to cry out, but I couldn’t find my voice. I heard my name again, this time it was more alarmed. The last thing I remember was Tom’s panicked eyes staring down at me and his strong arms wrapped around my shoulders.

Then I blacked out.

 


	8. Hospital

When I woke up, I was blinded by harsh white light. I blinked a few times until my eyes were adjusted to the room. I tried to sit up, but my head was pounding, so I just turned my head as much as I could from the pillow. I noticed an IV bag off to the side and a heart monitor making an annoying beeping sound, and realized I was in a hospital room. I turned my head back to the right and noticed Tom in a chair in the corner of the room. Emma was sitting sideways on his lap, wrapped in his arms, and they were both soundly asleep. She had his Homecoming crown lopsidedly sitting on her head. I smiled to myself.

“Jessie?” I turned my head back to the left and saw Tom’s mom standing in the doorway.

“Hi, Mrs. Hiddleston,” I said. She walked over to my bed and took my hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “What happened?”

“Tom said you fainted at the dance.”

“How embarrassing,” I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut.

“The doctors said it was because of your medication. You overheated, and the meds caused you to black out.”

“Did you call my parents?” She nodded.

“The hospital did. Your parents will be here soon.”

“They don’t have to do that. They were supposed to come home tomorrow anyway.”

“I imagine they’re very worried about you. I know I was,” she smiled. “And Tom was scared to death.”

I looked back over to the chair where he and Emma were sleeping.

“What time is it?” I asked, turning back to her.

“Just past midnight.” There was a comfortable silence between us for a few minutes before a nurse came in.

“Jessica?” He asked.

“It’s Jessie,” Tom’s mom corrected him politely.

“Jessie.” He smiled at me. “Your parents are here.” I perked up a bit at that.

“Can they come in?” The nurse nodded at me and went back out to the hall to retrieve them. Mrs. Hiddleston squeezed my hand and sat in the chair next to my bed.

“Jessie?” I heard my mom ask as she walked in. Her face filled with relief as she saw me awake.

“Mom!” I sat up as best as I could to hug her.

“Hey, pumpkin,” my dad greeted from behind her. He leaned down and kissed my cheek.

“You guys didn’t have to come back early. What will you do when I leave for college?”

“Worry,” my dad laughed. There was another silence, and I took both of my parents in. They looked tired and over worked, and I hoped that they would be allowed a few days off to rest.

“Hello,” my mom said with a smile, turning to Mrs. Hiddleston.

“Hi, excuse my rudeness! I’m Diana Hiddleston. Tom’s mom.” She stood and held her hand out to my mother.

“Thank you for looking after our daughter. I’ve never been away for this long, so I was worried out of my mind about her!”

“Mom…” I groaned.

“Oh, it was nothing! Us moms have to stick together, right? Our children will be the death of us,” Mrs. Hiddleston joked. At some point my dad had left the room, but then returned and handed me a bar of chocolate. He winked and sat on the edge of my bed, waiting patiently as the two women talked. He nodded his head in Tom’s direction, and I looked over at his sleeping form. My dad raised an eyebrow at me, and I blushed, looking down at the candy in my hands. _Boyfriend_ , I mouthed to him. He feigned a stern face, but it quickly vanished and was replaced with a soft smile.

“Did he look after you?” he whispered. I nodded and smiled. He grinned at me. “I’ll allow it.”

I laughed. “Dad, just because you’re a judge doesn’t mean you can control everything. Take a break!” He nudged my shoulder lightly, and I did the same to him.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Dad.”

“Hey, watch it." He thrusted his thumb in Tom’s direction. "He might get jealous.” 

“ _Dad_.”

“So, what did you do while we were gone?”

“I didn’t feel safe in the house alone, so I had Tom stay with me. I know you’re probably really mad that I let a boy in the house while neither of you were home but I _swear_ nothing happened, Dad. And then Taylor tried to start crap and trash the house with a party that I had absolutely no part in—which she didn’t—and so Tom took me to his house and Mrs. Hiddleston so kindly took me in and let me stay with them until today, and I’ve been taking my medicine and—”

“Jessie.” He interrupted my rant. “It’s okay! I believe you.” I looked up from the chocolate in my lap.

“You do? You’re not mad?”

“Of course not! I’m just glad you’re okay. You’re my favorite daughter.”

“Dad, I’m your only daughter.”

“That doesn’t mean you can’t be my favorite.” I elbowed him in the side.

“You’re my favorite father.”

“I’m your only father,” he mocked me. I chuckled to myself. “What?”

“Not once I get married. I’ll have two dads then.” _I showed him_ , I thought.

“Double the dad jokes.” I groaned at his smug demeanor. _Damn him_.

\-----------------------

I don’t know when I fell asleep, but when I woke up, everyone but Tom was gone from the room. He was barely awake in the chair right next to my bed.

“Tommy? Where is everyone?” His eyes fluttered open and it took him a minute to regain his bearings. I reached over to grab his hand.

“Your parents left to go get the house ready for you to come back home. My mom took Emma home so she could get some sleep. And here I am.” He smiled sheepishly.

“And here you are.” I squeezed his hand. “When are they going to let me out of here?”

“I heard as soon as your parents come back. And they’ve been gone for at least 3 hours now. So I suppose you’ll get to leave in a little while.” Tom squeezed my hand back.

“I’m gonna miss playing house with you. I doubt we’ll be able to have sleepovers often now that my parents are home. Even if my dad says he didn’t mind it.”

“Your father said that?” I nodded. “Oh thank god!” Tom let out a laugh of relief. I quirked my eyebrow. “I thought he would _kill_ me for that!”

“Oh. No, that’s my mom’s job.” Tom shut up instantly, and I giggled at his quick change in demeanor. “Relax, Tommy.” I rubbed my thumb across the back of his hand. “She likes you already.”


	9. Date Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To all of my readers who have been waiting patiently for this to update: Thank you for dealing with my sporadic posting!
> 
> If there are any new readers: Sorry about this, but I'm awful at updating. I hope you enjoy this nonetheless!

Tom barely left my side after I was released from the hospital. Surprisingly, our parents allowed him to spend Sunday night at my house. He laid in bed with me, and we watched a bunch of old movies. I fell asleep during _Back to the Future Part II_ , but Tom woke me up just in time for dinner. My parents ordered pizza, and the four of us ate together so they could get to know Tom better. It was amazing how calm he seemed around them.

The Monday after the accident, I was bombarded with hordes of underclassmen asking me if I was okay. I figured they were only asking because I was Homecoming Queen, but the sympathy was much appreciated nonetheless. Even my locker was covered in “Get Well Soon!” cards. When I opened it, a box of chocolates fell out. Tom just smiled and told me they were from my secret admirer.

A few weeks passed and talk of the dance died down. I could finally get around to my classes without being harassed by my peers about my well being. I hadn’t talked to Taylor since the dance, and I honestly didn’t care. She was awful to me. I never realized that before, but when Tom started to talk to me, I realized how _nice_ everyone else was. Taylor looked like a trip to hell and back compared to them. I hoped to god I never acted like her when I was around her.

I had finally caught up in all of my studies, with Tom’s help, of course, and my grades were back up to my Honors Student standard. I noticed that my parents really took a liking to him, and similarly, his mom adored me. Not to mention Emma wouldn’t leave my side when I went to their home.

Eventually, Winter took over and the football season ended. I could finally take a break from cheerleading and focus on me. I actually bought myself a day at the spa one weekend, and it was honestly the most relaxed I’d felt in years. Tom spent more and more time with me, even though he had the upcoming school play to worry about.

“Tom, you have other obligations to take care of. Don’t worry about me, okay?” I was sitting against the headboard of my bed with his head in my lap. I stroked his golden curls mindlessly.

“Are you sure? I don’t want you to be lonely.” I smiled.

“Tom, it’s absolutely fine. You’re the lead in the play! You have to make that your priority right now.”

“But I want to spend time with you,” he whined.

“Okay, I’ll tell you what. If it’s alright with our parents, you can sleep over every night after rehearsal.”

“Okay,” he sighed. Tom pouted like a child, and I pinched his cheek lightly to get him to smile.

“My parents really like you, you know.”

“Really?”

“Of course, Tommy. You’re the first guy who has respected them beyond the first meeting. Plus, you took care of me while they were gone! That’s like an automatic A plus.” Tom blushed furiously and sat up.

“That’s so kind.” I took his hand in mine.

“It’s the truth.”

“But, how do they know if we’re…” he trailed off.

“If we’re what?”

“You know. How do they know that we’re not…” He made a _very_ elaborate hand gesture.

“ _…sleeping together_?” I finished for him with a chuckle. He nodded and blushed again. “I don’t think they do or don’t know. They just assume that we aren’t and elect not to pry into our business. And honestly, if we _were_ sleeping together, they’d probably find out one way or another.”

“I feel like you’re right. I just don’t want them to think that I’m only with you for sex.”

“Tom, you can barely even say the word,” I laughed. He joined in, and eventually we were laughing our asses off and rolling around on the bed. Tom rolled over and accidentally tumbled to the floor. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he chuckled, catching his breath. Just then, there was a knock on my door.

“Come in!”

“What’s going on in here?” my mom laughed as she noticed Tom sprawled out on the floor.

“Just kids being kids,” I said, sitting up on the bed.

“Well, your dad and I are going to order dinner. I didn’t know if you wanted to join us or if you had other plans.”

“I think Tom and I are going to go out to get something.” I looked over to him for confirmation, and he nodded.

“Alrighty. I just wanted to make sure.”

“Thanks, mom.” She closed the door behind her.

“Speaking of which,” Tom began, “where would you like to go?”

“It doesn’t really matter to me.”

“How about Italian?”

“Sounds perfect.

Tom and I fixed ourselves up after our little laugh attack and headed out to the restaurant. Honestly, it was my favorite one in the city. Thinking about it was making my mouth water for chicken parmesan.

“Are you driving, or am I?”

“I’ll drive, darling. You know I love chauffeuring you around.”

“Okay.” I smiled at him.

 

* * *

 

I finally had my chicken parm sitting right in front of me, and the smell was absolutely intoxicating. I was _so_ ready to dig in. Tom ordered some sort of ravioli dish that smelled equally as good.

“Happy date night, Tommy,” I said, taking his hand in mine.

“Indeed, love.” A warm shiver passed through my chest as he rubbed his thumb against the back of my hand. The circles were so soft and gentle. If there were two things that I loved more than anything, they were Tom, and Tom rubbing his thumb against my skin.

“So what is the play this year?” I asked, cutting up the chicken breast on my plate.

“ _Hamlet_ by good ol’ William Shakespeare,” he told me with a huge grin plastered across his face.

“And I take it you love that play, huh?”

“I do, though it’s not my favorite,” he said, sipping on his water. “I really love _Othello_.”

“I’ve never read it,” I told him, a bit ashamed. Shakespeare was his bread and butter, of course.

“It’s really quite good. Though, ‘good’ doesn’t do it much justice. It’s interesting.”

“I’ll have to read it.”

“You can borrow my copy.”

Tom and I continued with light conversation while we finished our meals. He offered me a bite of his ravioli, and I returned the favor with my chicken parmesan. Eventually, our waitress came back to ask about dessert. I was stuffed, but honestly, I saw the chocolate mousse on the dessert menu when we walked in, and now I was craving it like crazy. Tom and I decided to share some, and afterward, I thought I might end up in the hospital with a food coma.

“Thank you for taking me out, Tom.” We slowly approached the front porch of my house.

“My pleasure,” he said with a grin.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Yes, you will.” He leaned in and pressed his lips chastely against mine. “Goodnight, love.” He parted from me with a kiss to my knuckles. I sighed contentedly as I reluctantly opened my front door and slipped inside.


	10. Shopping

I sat at a small table in the mall food court with Emma as we scarfed down our lunch. Mrs. Hiddleston called me this morning and asked me to take Emma Christmas shopping because she couldn’t herself. I agreed wholeheartedly. It was funny; when I showed up at their door, Tom opened it, seemingly surprised at my presence.

“Darling, come in. What are you doing here?”

“Your mom asked me to take your sister shopping.”

“So you didn’t just come to sweep me off my feet?” Tom asked with a childish pout.

“Sorry, babe. It’s not always about you,” I laughed, kissing his cheek. Secretly, I had been planning on talking to Emma about a Christmas gift for her brother, and having her with me to help pick something out was fantastic. Emma pulled me out of my thoughts and back to the food court.

“Jessie, how did you and Thomas start dating?” I laughed as I popped another fry into my mouth.

“Well, you know that I was really sick earlier this year.” She nodded in affirmation. “One day—and let me tell you, it was a _terrible_ day—your brother came over to give me some homework that I’d missed while I was out from school. When I opened the door, I didn’t really expect it to be him, but it was a really nice surprise.” I blushed.

“And then what happened?”

“Well, I was sobbing like a child. Like I said, the day hadn’t been the best. I invited him inside, and he comforted me and just made me feel a lot better than I had been feeling in a long time. We listened to some music, and then we danced…” I sighed, remembering the warm embrace and the soft music and how everything was just absolutely perfect in that moment. “And then, he slept over and took me shopping for my birthday the next day. He even made me dinner.” Emma smiled knowingly at me. “What? Spill it,” I teased.

“It’s just that Tommy had been worried about you for a few days before that. All he talked about was how you were missing from class and how he wanted to talk to you and make you feel better.” I blushed, and she continued. “I asked him why he didn’t just go to your house, and he kept making really stupid excuses, like: _‘She’s a cheerleader, and I’m a nobody,’_ and, _‘Why would she want to see me? I’m probably the last person she wants to see,’_ and, _‘But she’s just too beautiful! She’s way out of my league,_ ’” she mimicked. I laughed uncontrollably at the voice she used.

“He really said that?” I gasped out.

“Yes! I was like, ‘Tom, if you’re the romantic guy I know you are, you’ll just get over there and talk to her!’”

“He’s too sweet. Thanks for knocking some sense into him. I appreciate it.” I nudged her with my elbow lightly.

“No problem,” she said, taking a bite of her sandwich. “You know, I’m really glad you two are together.”

“Really?” She nodded.

“Yeah. I really like you a lot, and I’m glad you make Tommy happy.” My heart swelled as she continued to eat.

“I’m really glad too, Em.”

We spent the rest of the day shopping until we dropped. I bought gifts for mom, dad, Tom, his Mom, and even snuck a gift into my haul for Emma without her noticing. By the time we got back out to my car, it was 8 o’clock, and our arms were full with bags from various stores.

“I didn’t get anything for Sarah!” I gasped, almost dropping my bags. “I need to find a good one to give her when I finally meet her!” I think my capriciousness caught Emma off guard because she jumped a bit at my sudden outburst.

“We can go back inside and find something! Don’t worry, Jessie. She’ll probably like whatever you give her.”

“But what does she like?” I threw my bags in the trunk of my car. “Oh god, I don’t know what to get her!”

“Jessie, calm down!” Emma put her things in the trunk as well and closed it. “She really likes elephants. I saw a pretty necklace that she would like, and I wanted to buy it for her, but it was too expensive for me,” she told me.

“Okay… How much was it?”

“Only $30. I’ll pitch in if you need some money.”

“Thanks Em. Let’s go back inside and find it before the mall closes.”

 

* * *

 

“So how was your shopping trip?” Tom asked. I plopped down on his bed with a huff.

“My feet hurt, but it was good. I think Em enjoyed it.”

“She loves you, Jessie.” Tom grinned. “You know what she asked me the other day? If she could be one of your bridesmaids at our wedding!” My face heated up.

“She really said that?” Tom nodded.

“I told her she would have to ask you.”

“Aww, Tommy.” I felt hot tears fill my eyes. “I love her,” I laughed as a tear ran down my cheek. I wiped it away and stood up from the bed, rushing to Emma’s room. Tom followed me into the hallway, obviously confused as to where I was going.

“Jessie? What—”

“Of course you can be one of my bridesmaids!” I pulled Emma into a bear hug. “Well, if your brother, and I get married.”

“You will,” she replied simply. I laughed and hugged her again.

We bid each other goodnight, and I made my way back into Tom’s room. I found him sprawled out in the center of the mattress. I shook with laughter, trying to muffle myself so I didn’t wake the whole house.

“Looks like someone’s wiped out from the play,” I whispered to myself. “Come on, move over.” I heard him groan in response. “I can just go home if you want.” I smirked, knowing that would get his attention.

“No, please don’t,” he mumbled into the pillow.

“Then move over and make room.” Tom groaned again and rolled over onto his back. I scooted into bed next to him, and he grinned at me sleepily.

“I love you.”

“I know,” I chuckled. “I love you, too, sleepyhead.” 


	11. Bad Thai Food

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope I still have some readers after writing 11 chapters sporadically. We're nowhere near finished yet, but I just hope you're all still enjoying this!

“What do you want, Derek?” I sighed, grabbing the books I needed as quickly as possible and making sure I texted a quick _Good Morning_ to Tom. He stayed home sick after eating some bad takeout at rehearsal.

“I wanted to ask you if you were seeing the play next week,” he replied, leaning cooly on the lockers next to mine.

“As a matter of fact, yes. I will be in attendance. Why?” I looked at him incredulously. “Doesn’t seem like something you’d be into.”

“Just trying to make conversation.” He smirked.

“Well, I have to go to class,” I told him curtly, closing my locker a little harder than usual and walking away. Derek grabbed my arm and harshly yanked me backwards. “What the hell?!” The whole world around us froze when I turned around to look at him.

“Don’t walk away from me when I’m talking to you,” he growled, his grip still like a vise. I was shaken, but I matched his gaze with narrowing eyes. _Don’t back down, Jess._

“Derek,” I began slowly. “Let go. Of me.” He immediately released his hold on my arm, and I took 3 steps back. “Don’t you _ever_ touch me again.”

“Or what? You’ll send your boyfriend after me? I’ll look forward to smashing that pretty little face of his.” He backed away slowly with a terrible grin on his lips. Time began to rush back around us, almost as if the encounter never even happened.

I released a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I rushed to my next class, avoiding eye contact with everyone. The bell rang just as I slipped through the door. Mr. White wasn’t in the classroom yet, so I pulled out my phone with shaking hands and sent Tom a text.

_In class. Can’t talk. Derek, freaking out. I’ll call next period._

I hoped to god he understood what I meant. I quickly shoved my phone back in my sweater pocket and prepared for lecture.

 

* * *

 

“ _Darling. Dar—Darling, please. Relax_ ,” Tom tried to calm me down. In my hysteric state, I didn’t notice his voice at all. I was focused on keeping my makeup at least semi-presentable as I cried into my phone. I pulled out a paper towel from the dispenser and stopped a few grey tears from falling.

“Tom, I thought he was going to hit me,” I said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so scared in my life.” I wedged my phone in between my shoulder and my cheek.

“ _Do you want me to come pick you up?_ ”

“No, my car’s here… And there’s only an hour left of classes for me. I just need to calm down and go back to class.” I threw away the paper towel and washed my hands. I chuckled to myself, remembering the confrontation. “He told me he wants to break your pretty face. So at least he recognizes your beauty.”

“ _Ooo, I’m shaking in my bed sheets_ ,” Tom mocked. “ _I think he feels a little bit threatened._ ” I laughed at that.

“I should get back to class…”

“ _I’ll see you later?_ ”

“Yeah, definitely.”

“ _Bring soup?_ ” He sounded like a whiny puppy.

“Of course, honey,” I laughed. “I love you.”

 _“I love you too, darling._ ”

“See you in an hour.”

 

* * *

 

After I trudged through my last class, I drove to the diner to pick up some chicken noodle soup for Tom. He had to be feeling awful. When I got to his house, Mrs. Hiddleston opened the door and promptly let me inside.

“You know, you don’t have to knock, Jessie. You can just let yourself in.”

“Oh, I couldn’t. It doesn’t feel right.”

“Well, If you feel more comfortable, you can keep knocking. Just know that it’s alright with me if you just let yourself in.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Hiddleston.” I showed myself up the stairs to Tom’s room and knocked before entering. He rolled over on his side and smiled up at me.

“My heroine,” he swooned. I just laughed and sat beside him on his mattress. I opened the paper bag and set the container of soup on the bedside table.

“Sit up,” I told him, pulling out a package of crackers and a spoon.

“You’re too good to me, darling.” I smiled at him.

“Did you get sick at all today?” Tom nodded and pointed to a garbage can by his door. “I am _not_ cleaning that. I love you, but I’m not.” He laughed and took the soup from the table.

“I wouldn’t make you touch that even if my life depended on it.”

“Sounds a little dramatic.”

I sat with Tom as he finished his soup, telling him more about my day. His face fell into a hard stare when I told him the details.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t be there for you, Jessie.”

“Tom, it’s fine,” I lied.

“It’s not fine. He scares you, and I hate that.” Tom shifted in his spot. “I hate that you have to worry about him.”

“Well, let me worry about him. You don’t need that kind of stress.” Tom didn’t seem phased by my attempt to comfort him.

“I just want you to be safe.” He slid over in the bed and patted the mattress. I climbed next to him, and he wrapped one arm around me while pulling the blanket over us with the other.

 

* * *

 

The next day, Tom felt drastically better after a good night of sleep. He insisted it was because I was with him, but I just laughed. We drove to class together, stopping at a cafe to get breakfast.

“So you have rehearsal until midnight?” I asked as we walked through the halls to Tom’s locker.

“Yeah. It’s brutal, but I’ll get through it.”

“Of course you will; You’re Hamlet.” Tom grinned at me and twisted the combination knob.

“Come watch me practice?”

“Sure. I’ll bring you dinner, too.”

“Just not Thai food.”

“Of course, Tommy.” I laughed. “I’ll bring you whatever you’d like.”


	12. Hamlet

“Ha-ha! Are you honest?” Tom bellowed to the audience.

“My Lord?” Maddison, the actress playing Ophelia, replied, obviously shocked.

“Are you fair?”

“What means your lordship?” Her surprise didn’t fade. Tom relaxed his shoulders as he answered.

“That if you be honest and fair, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty,” he said, matter-of-factly.

“Could beauty, my lord, have better commerce than with honesty?” She asked.

“Ay, truly, for the power of beauty will sooner transform honesty from what is bawd than the force of honesty can translate beauty into his likeness. This was sometime a paradox, but now the time gives it proof. I did love you once.” Ophelia’s internal pain was palpable. I felt as if my own heart had been stabbed by Hamlet’s dagger.

“Indeed, my lord, you made me believe so.” Tom turned away from her and paced to the left.

“You should not have believed me, for virtue cannot so inoculate our old stock but we shall relish of it.” He paused. “I loved you not.”

“I was the more deceived.”

“Get the to a nunnery,” Tom proclaimed, turning around swiftly on one foot, startling Ophelia. “Why wouldst thou be a breeder of sinners? I am myself indifferent honest, but yet I could accuse me of such things that it were better my mother had not borne me.” He took a breath. “I am very proud, revengeful, ambitious, with more offences at my beck than I have thoughts to put them in, imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in. What should such fellows as I do crawling between earth and heaven? We are arrant knaves, all. Believe none of us. Go thy ways to a nunnery. Where’s your father?” Tom’s ability to memorize these huge amounts of lines astounded me, even during our practices together. But now I was drawn into the action of the play, forgetting that he was even acting at all. It all seemed so real.

“At home, my lord.”

“Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the fool no where but in’s own house. Farewell.” Tom began to pace around the stage.

“Heavenly powers, restore him!” Ophelia cried out in a choked sob.

“I have heard of your paintings too, well enough.” He slowly stalked around her in a circle. “God has given you one face and you make yourself another. You jig and amble, and you lisp, you nickname God’s creatures and make your wantonness your ignorance. Go to, I’ll no more on’t. It hath made me mad. I say, we will have no more marriages. Those that are married already all but one, shall live. The rest shall keep as they are.” He turned to exit, but he paused, looking to her one last time. “To a nunnery, go.”

* * *

 

“Let four captains bear Hamlet like a soldier to the stage, for he was likely, had he been put on, to have proved most royally.” Fortinbras spoke to Horatio. “And, for his passage, the soldiers’ music and the rites of war speak loudly for him. Take up the bodies. Such a sight as this becomes the field, but here shows much amiss.” all of the lights went out, except for the lone spotlight on Fortinbras. He turned to where Horatio had been standing. “Go, bid the soldiers shoot.” The entire audience erupted into cheers and applause as the curtain closed. Tears spilled onto my cheeks, but I wore a smile on my face. Everyone did a fantastic job for Opening Night.

The curtain opened again to reveal the entire cast for bows. First, the ensemble stepped forward and bowed. Fortinbras and his men followed after. Then it was Claudius, Polonius, Laertes, and Gertrude. Next, Ophelia came forward and curtsied. Finally, Tom stepped forward, bowing with the grace and poise of a prince. The whole cast bowed again, and then the curtain was shut once more. I quickly grabbed my program and purse and headed to the exit. I rushed through the crowd of parents and students alike, trying to push my way to the backstage entrance. A few of the performers were exiting and saw me hustling toward them. One of them held the door for me with a smile, and I returned it, as well as words of appreciation for their performance.

I dodged the multitude of cast and crew that were buzzing around the stage, trying to get over into the left wing to find Tom. A few people knew my intentions and pointed me in the right direction. I spotted my boyfriend’s beautiful blond curls above other people’s heads. He was talking to Maddison, who pointed to me when she noticed me approaching and told Tom to turn around. He did, and a magnificent grin spread across his face.

“That was absolutely phenomenal!” I ran and jumped on him, wrapping my arms around his neck and crashing my lips to his in a passionate, congratulatory kiss. He caught me, luckily, and happened to grab me by the ass to hold me up. I felt him smile into my lips before he pulled away.

“Did you really like it?” He asked, still grinning like an idiot.

“Yes! You were amazing. Both of you were!” I said to him and Maddison.

“Thanks, Jessie. It was a lot of fun!” Maddison laughed as she untied the bow holding her coarse, raven hair away from her face.

“I cried so much during your scene together. You make a perfect Ophelia.” She thanked me again before a stagehand pulled her away to take off her costume.

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“You made it so real, Tom. It was like you really _were_ Hamlet.” He kissed me again, and my heart fluttered _so hard_ in my chest, I’m sure he could feel it. We parted, and he left me for a bit so he could go change and remove his makeup. He looked back on his way out and winked. A giggle bubbled up inside me, and my lips still tingled from our kisses. I must have looked like a blushing maid from the 16th Century.

Stagehands were leading me into the wings so they could clean up the stage. I couldn’t stop smiling to myself. My whole body felt hot. Just thinking about Tom and how much of a high he got from performing made me ecstatic. He was like a god on stage. It didn’t feel like he was acting; it was like the play was his life story, and he was laying it out for the audience. Honestly, it turned me on...and I think it affected him in the same way—when I jumped on him earlier, I could tell.

Tom and I talked briefly about this a while ago, but we never tried anything. I never did anything before, not even with Derek. But in that moment, I felt like I was ready. I wanted to experience this with Tom, and I could only hope to God he wanted to do it with me.

I psyched myself up to ask him about it, and I was already on my way to his dressing room—which was really the band room. Just as I rounded the corner—

“Hey there, Jess.” I ran smack into a chest. A hard, tense chest. I already knew who it was, but I looked up cautiously anyway. _Derek_.

“What are you doing here?” I spat.

“I thought we had a date,” he mused, smirking.

“As if.” I began to back away and try to run toward the stage again, but Derek caught my arm. “What’s your deal?! I thought I told you to stop touching me!” I tried yanking my arm away, but to no avail.

“Stop running from me,” he growled.

“Get away from me.”

“I thought we had something special.”

“You hurt me!”

“Does he love you like I used to?”

“You’re crazy!”

“That hurts, Jess.” His death grip on my arm tightened. My pulse thumped in my arm due to the lack of circulation.

“I swear to god, I’ll scream ‘rape.’”

“You won’t.”

“RA—” He cut me off with his hand over my mouth.

“Shut your damned mouth!” I tried screaming again but his hand effectively muffled the sound. “I don’t want to hurt you, Jessie,” he lied, trying to calm me, but it only caused me to panic more than I already was. My breathing became rapid when I realized no one knew I was here. All of the audience members were on the other side of the school. I could only hope someone involved in the production would come down the hall and find us here. I started to thrash around in his grasp. He held fast. “Stop struggling, you dumb bitch!”

The next thing I knew, my cheek stung and tears streamed down my cheeks.

“HEY!” I heard someone screech from down the hall. Derek tensed up, and I jerked out of his hold. Maddison came bolting down the hallway, yelling for help. I heard a few other pairs of quick footsteps coming from the other way. I backed up as far as I could from Derek without tripping over my own feet.

“YOU WERE MINE FIRST!” He lunged for me, but I was frozen in place. A scream ripped out of my throat as Maddison pulled me away from his reach just before he fell flat on his face.

I couldn’t breathe. Everything slowed down. People gathered around and tried to ask me what happened, but I couldn’t answer. It was the shock of it all.

“Where’s…” I tried to squeak.

“Where’s what, Jessie?”

“Where’s Tom?” I choked out. The tears still streamed down my face, and I didn’t expect them to stop soon. I slid down the wall, hugged my knees to my chest, and hid my face.

“He’s coming. Someone’s going to get him,” Maddison answered, crouching down and rubbing my back softly. I began hyperventilating, but luckily, she knew how to calm me down

“Jessie?” Tom’s distraught voice called from around the corner.

“We’re over here, Tom,” Maddison said.

I heard him enter the hall, and I looked up at him. He was shirtless and barely had his pants fastned. Someone definitely rushed him out of the band room. He looked down the hall to see that one of the more muscular actors—the one who played Horatio—had Derek up against the wall. His face contorted in rage as he set his sights on beating the shit out of him. I watched in silent horror as he practically sprinted down the long corridor at full speed.

“WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR DEAL?!” I flinched. I had never heard Tom yell before. Maddison stood up hesitantly.

“Tom… Be smart about this,” she warned. He whipped around to retort back, but she gave him a cautioning look. Then, Tom looked at me and his face softened. In a flash, he was back in a rage, but it was a lot more terrifying than before. I stopped listening to what he said, but he spoke in a low, menacing voice. No yelling. I didn’t think he was even capable of it. A shiver ran down my spine as he stalked around Derek before slamming his fist on the wall by his head.

He walked away slowly, and all I really remember from what happened next is that Derek said something stupid and arrogant, and Tom turned on his heel and punched him right in the nose. There was blood all over Derek’s shirt.

Maddison was still tending to me, making sure I was focusing on my breathing and not going into shock. Tom crouched down in front of me, taking my hands in his. The right was throbbing from the blow.

“Darling… I’m so sorry I couldn’t be here to help.” I started to bawl as his words finally sank in.

“I-I-I,” I tried to gasp between sobs. He hushed me and pulled me into a soft embrace.

“It’s alright. You’re okay. Maddison found you. I’m here,” he soothed. “It’s okay.” I wrapped my arms around him and grabbed at him to keep him close.

“Don’t let go.”

“I won’t, Darling.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that was... intense, to say the least. I love an angry Tom (my muse for this chapter is Freddie Page *swoon*).
> 
> And a new character! I'm excited to work with Maddison, and I hope to write her into more of this story.
> 
> All of the quotes before the line break and in the first paragraph of the second half are all directly taken from the text of Shakespeare's _Hamlet_ (Act III, scene 1, and the very last lines of the play). It's not really TOO important to our plot, but it's nice to have a little bit of Willy Shakes once in a while. If you haven't read the play, it's honestly such a beautiful work. And if you don't feel like reading, there's a 4h20 movie with Kenneth Branagh as our boy Hamlet *double swoon* and Kate Winslet as Ophelia.
> 
> (Alright I'm done babbling)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	13. The Aftermath

I was awake in bed for an hour after Tom fell asleep. My mind raced with the repeating images of what happened at the school. I couldn’t shake the look on Derek’s face from my mind.

I peeled Tom’s arm from around my stomach and padded into the hall. I had to alleviate the feeling of Derek’s harsh touch from my arms. The cold bathroom tile was a comfort. I turned on the shower and stepped in without feeling the temperature first. The freezing water sent a shock up my spine, and I turned away from the stream instinctively. Ducking under the water, I turned the knob to the other side and it started warming up. Had I not been crying all night, I probably would have had tears streaming down my face, as well as drops of water from the shower head.

I scrubbed my body vigorously. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw his face again: hard eyes, a smirk plastered on his thin face, always turning into a snarl with knitted eyebrows. He was terrifying. His voice kept ringing in my head; _I thought we had something special._ The helplessness came rushing back. I scrubbed harder—if at all possible—the feeling of his hands still searing my skin. _Stop running from me._ His eyes were still there, intimidating and merciless. _Does he love you like I used to?_ I choked out a sob and clawed at myself, trying anything to relieve myself from the terrible images. _YOU WERE MINE FIRST._ Nothing was working. I sank to the floor and hugged my knees to my chest. Why couldn’t I get rid of him?

“...Jessie?” I heard Tom from the other side of the door.

“Yeah…?” I answered shakily. He opened the door and closed it again, probably sitting on the toilet seat.

“You okay?”

“No.” There was a silence, as if he was trying to find the right thing to say.

“Do you need anything?”

“No.”

“Okay.” I didn’t hear the door open again, so he didn’t leave. I sighed and stood up, turning off the water. Before I could ask, he already grabbed a towel and reached around the curtain to give it to me.

“Thanks,” I said, weakly. I wrapped it around my body and composed myself as much as I could before pulling back the curtain and stepping out of the shower. Tom immediately pulled me into his arms. “You’ll get wet…”

“I don’t care.” He squeezed me tighter. He pulled back from me and examined my face for signs of distress. The only thing I felt now was helplessness. I felt empty.

“I’m sorry I woke you up.”

“Shh, darling. It’s perfectly fine.” He kissed my forehead and hugged me again.

“I love you, Tommy.”

“I love you, too.”

“Please never leave…” I whispered into his shoulder.

“I would never dream of it.”  
  


* * *

 

I awoke from a dreamless night of sleep. Tom was running the soft pads of his fingers along my jaw. For a moment, I was at peace. Then everything came rushing back and made me feel absolutely nauseous. After my shower last night, I passed out next to Tom on my bed, not even bothering to redress. I must have looked miserable.

“What time is it?” I asked, stretching out my limbs.

“Just around ten.” He continued stroking my cheek. I sat up slowly, taking care to hold the blankets close to my chest.

“What day is it?”

“Saturday, love.” I sighed in relief. _At least it’s not a school day._ “How are you feeling?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want to eat something? You probably should.”

“I don’t really want to.”

“Not even something small? Toast?” He looked more and more concerned every day. He’d end up with wrinkles on his face before his 25th birthday if we kept this up.

“I guess I should…”

“That’s my girl,” he said with a grin. My heart fluttered, and I practically melted into the sheets. If I could get through this somehow, it would be with Tom by my side. I was about to get up, but he stopped me, saying he would go make the toast and bring up some juice as well. I almost protested because I never ate in my bed, but I thought, _fuck it, I deserve to eat in bed right now,_ so I kept my mouth shut.

Surprisingly, I didn’t wake up my parents last night during my little freak out in the shower. I’m glad, though. I didn’t want to tell them what happened. They’d probably call the school and Derek’s parents and make a huge deal out of it. But...isn’t this a big deal? If it’s affecting me this much, shouldn’t I say something? At the least, I should talk to a therapist or something.

“What’s on your mind, sunshine?” Tom asked as he entered back through the door, balancing a plate of toast on one arm and carrying a glass of juice in each hand. I smiled at him, and grabbed a glass before he could completely lose his grip on them. He sat on the mattress beside me, handing me a piece of toast.

“Nothing. Thanks for the toast.” He nodded and sipped a bit of juice.

“Do you want to talk about it, or just let it rest?”

“Well, I was thinking—”

“Always dangerous,” he quirked. I grinned and pushed his arm lightly. “There’s that smile I love so much.”

“Anyway,” I tried to steer the conversation back. “I was thinking that maybe I should see someone about it. Like, a professional. I don’t know. Just someone other than the school or our parents.” I munched on the toast.

“I think it would be good to look into it. But maybe we _should_ tell the school.” He took my hand in his. “I don’t want him bothering you again.”

“Won’t that just make things worse?” I sighed. “What did I ever do to him? What’s his damage?”

“I don’t know, Jessie, but he’s violent, and I can’t trust him to leave us alone.” I instinctively pulled the blanket up to my shoulders to shield my still-bare body.

“I’m sorry I pulled you into this shit.”

“Jessie, you didn’t. This shouldn’t even be happening.”

“I just want it to stop. I want to be able enjoy our last few months together...before we leave.” I looked away. I hadn’t even thought about graduation. Tom would probably go back to England to study. I would probably move somewhere far from home for college. What would happen to us? Long distance relationships rarely work out. “Will you still love me?”

“What?”

“Will you still love me? When you move back to England?” Tom looked absolutely dumbfounded. “What’s going to happen to us?”

“Jessie, of course I’ll still love you.”

“But what if you meet someone new and leave me for her and love her instead?”

“Jessie.” He rubbed his thumbs over the back of my free hand. “I have loved you for four years.”

“Yeah, but—”

“Shhh. Darling. I love you _so much_. And I know you don’t want to hear it, but we can’t focus on the future. Focus on right now. We’re here, together, and it’s been the best time of my life.”

“You really mean it?” I asked. Tom took my face in his hands and pressed his lips to mine. My eyes fluttered closed and my mind went blank. All that mattered was him. I reached up to his cheek and cradled it in my hand. Everything about him was perfect: his hair, his skin, his muscles… It was like he had been chiseled by the Ancient Greeks themselves. He pulled back, but I moved forward with him to keep the contact. He smiled into the kiss.

“Jessie,” he mumbled, trying to pull back again. I kept myself pressed against him, leaning him back to lay on the bed. “Jessie, I need air,” he laughed.

“Oh, sorry,” I giggled. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. “Guess I got carried away.”

“I liked it. I just need to breath, you know?” He grinned. I rested my head against his chest, listening to his heart race. “Feel better?” I smiled to myself.

“Yeah. Thanks, Tommy.” He began rubbing gentle circles on my back, and I realized that I was still butt-naked. I felt a blush creep over my body, and I sat up quickly, taking the blanket with me and making sure I was covered. Tom looked surprised, obviously not realizing why I pulled back so suddenly. “I, um. I think I should get dressed…” Tom blushed then, too.

“O-okay.” He looked away with a cute, shy smile on his lips. “Do you want my shirt?”

“I would love it.”


	14. Gift Exchange

“Happy Christmas!” Tom exclaimed, opening the door for my parents and me. I kissed his cheek as I walked past, and he greeted my parents with hugs.

“ _Merry_ Christmas, Tommy,” I corrected. He laughed and shut the door behind us. “Where’s your tree?” I asked, motioning with the boxes of presents in my arms. He led me into the library, and I set the boxes underneath the spruce tree.

“You must be Jessie!” I turned around to find a tall, blonde girl standing in the doorway.

“Hi, Sarah!” I moved in for a hug. She reciprocated warmly and kissed both of my cheeks in greeting. “It’s so nice to finally meet you!”

“The same to you!” Standing next to Tom, the two looked identical! They both had the same blonde curls, the same nose, and the same eyes. They even stood the same, though Tom was a bit taller than his older sister. “I’m glad your family could spend the holiday with us,” she said, grinning from ear to ear. “I mean, it is the only time I can scope out my baby brother’s girlfriend and make sure she’s up to par!” she joked. A blush spread over Tom’s cheeks and ears, and I giggled at the sight.

“Well, I hope I pass the test!”

“It seems you’ve already passed Em’s,” Sarah laughed. “I look forward to talking more later, but for now, I’ve got to go help mum in the kitchen.” She smiled again before exiting back through the door.

“That was embarrassing,” Tom chuckled, a bit nervously. I kissed his cheek again and took his hand in my own.

“She means well. She _is_ your big sister, after all. She’s gotta look out for you.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t have to call me her _baby_ brother.” I laughed and pulled him out of the library, but not before he stole one last kiss. “Maybe a second one, just for the holiday?” I grinned and pressed my lips to his again.

“You’re not sly, you know,” I chuckled.

 

* * *

 

“Last gift!” Emma exclaimed, pulling out a small, purple box from beneath the tree. “It’s to Sarah, from Jessie.” I looked to Sarah and smiled at her as Emma handed her the box.

“I hope you like it. Emma actually helped me pick it out for you.” Sarah ripped the wrapping paper with care and lifted the lid of the box.

“Oh my,” she breathed in awe. “It’s beautiful, Jessie.” She pulled the golden chain from the box and held it up high for everyone to see. The elephant pendant hung proudly at the end. “I love it. Thank you.” She knelt down to hug me.

“I’m so glad you like it!”

For the rest of the night, we all gathered around the dinner table to eat the meal Mrs. Hiddleston prepared. To say the table was full would be an understatement. You couldn’t even see the table! It was covered with beautiful food and mouth-watering desserts. My stomach growled, but thankfully, only Tom heard. We laughed together as our parents began passing around the food.

After everyone was finished with their meals, we all chatted over our desserts, and at one point I even cried with laughter at one of Emma’s jokes. The night was simply perfect.

My mom and dad went back home at around midnight, and I stayed the night at Tom’s. Emma, Sarah, Tom, and I all stayed up to watch _It’s A Wonderful Life_. It was, coincidentally, a Christmas tradition among both of our families. At one point, Tom fell asleep with his head in my lap, so I played with his curls until the end of the movie. Emma and Sarah said their goodnights and headed upstairs. I sat on the floor, still stroking Tom’s hair.

“Hey,” I half-whispered, trying to wake him up. “Babe…” I shook his shoulder a bit before he groaned. “It’s time for bed, baby.” Tom’s eyes fluttered open, and he stretched out a bit before sitting up.

“What time is it?”

“Just about two-thirty,” I answered, leaning in to kiss his cheek. “Time for bed.” I stood slowly and stretched my arms. “Come on, sleepy head.” I pulled him up by the arms and led him upstairs. Tom trailed behind me drowsily, losing his balance and knocking into the walls a few times.

“I love you, Jessie,” he slurred. A smile crept across my face as I tucked him into bed.

“I love you, too.”

 

* * *

 

The sunlight shining through the curtain blinded me. I squinted, trying to remember where I was. Then I felt Tom’s arm snake around me and squeeze me to his chest.

“Morning, darling.” Man, I would never get used to waking up next to Tom.

“Hi.” I rolled over onto my back and stretched my body out, my shirt lifting up to reveal my stomach in the process. Tom reached down to poke my exposed skin, but I squealed and turned away before he could. “Don’t do that!” He smirked and tried again, but I rolled away from him, and inevitably off the bed with an “oof.”

“Jessie!” Tom laughed. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I giggled. Tom gazed down at me from the mattress, and I reached up to poke his cheek.

“You’re beautiful,” he told me, matter-of-factly.

“You’re not so bad, yourself,” I replied.

“Do you need help, darling?”

“I think I’ll stay down here for a while.”

“Then, perhaps I’ll join you,” Tom said, already rolling off the bed. I screamed in terror as he fell on me, but luckily he braced himself with his hands so he didn’t crush me on the way down. “Hey, gorgeous.”

“What’s gotten into you?” I laughed, kissing his soft lips.

“I’ve just fallen for you.”

“ _Wow_. I can’t believe you just said that. That was terribly lame.”

“Oh, I see. You don’t appreciate my advances. I’ll just go then.” He moved to stand up.

“No! I love your lame affections!” I pulled him back down. “I love them so much.”

“You’re lucky I love you,” Tom said, pressing his lips to mine.

“So lucky.” We kissed once more, and then again. I closed my eyes and indulged myself in him. His lips were like heaven against my own. I felt his tongue skim across my bottom lip. Usually, I would be hesitant, but with Tom, I felt more comfortable than ever before. My lips parted to grant him access to my mouth. I was a bit timid to reciprocate, but soon I explored his mouth with my tongue. I giggled, and Tom pulled back. “Sorry, it tickled.”

Tom grinned and he was back on me again. As we kissed, I felt the same stirring in my abdomen as the night of the play. It was hot, and the warmth crept down my legs to my toes, and up to my cheeks. My hips bucked up into Tom’s. My eyes snapped open, and I stared at him in shock.

“I-I’m so sorry, Tom… I don’t know what came over me.” I _did_ know, I was just too embarrassed to say it. “I didn’t mean—”

“Jessie! Jessie, shhh. It’s alright.” He kissed my obviously red cheeks. “Are you embarrassed?” I nodded in response, averting my gaze to anywhere but him. “You don’t need to be, darling. You’re only human.”

“I just… I know this is going to sound weird, but…” I huffed. “I’m so turned on right now, and you’re the hottest guy on the planet.”

“So, what you’re saying is…”

“I think I’m ready if you are.” Tom looked down at me with his sparkling blue eyes.

“Jessie, this is a huge step… Are you sure you’re ready to take it?”

“I am.” I thought for another beat. “I’m ready if you are.” Tom flashed his adorable grin and kissed me again, more sweetly than before.

“Lemme just…” He reached over my head and opened his nightstand drawer. He pulled out a foil-wrapped condom and closed the drawer again.

“Well, aren’t you a little Boy Scout. Always prepared.” Tom laughed and ripped open the package. I quickly reached out and stopped him. “Please tell me this condom isn’t 10 years old from your dad for ‘ _when you’re ready, son_ ,’ because that’s _not_ gonna fly,” I half joked.

“Nope. Brand new box, actually.” I lifted an eyebrow curiously. “Well, not _brand_ -brand new. A few months old.”

“So you’re saying you knew we would have sex,” I smirked.

“Pfft. What? Pffffft. I was just trying to keep myself prepared in case we ever—” I silenced him with a finger to his lips.

“I’m joking, babe.” I took a deep breath. “Are you ready?”

“I think so.”

“No, Tommy, you have to _know_ so. I don’t wanna rush into this. It’s okay if you’re not.”

“I am. I’m just nervous. I’ve never done this before.”

“Me neither. But I’m comfortable enough to share my body with you. I love you, Thomas.” I kissed his cheek.

“I love you, too. We’ll figure it out together.” He smiled down at me. “Care to do the honors?” He motioned to his boxer briefs.

“I’d love to.” I slipped my thumbs under the waistband. Tom nodded, and I pulled the fabric down as far as I could reach, never losing eye contact. _Don’t make a face, Jessie. Whatever you do, don’t make a face. Even if it looks strange. I know penises are weird, but don’t shatter his beautiful, golden-haired, blue-eyed ego_ , I thought to myself. I bit my lip as I looked down. _Holy shit._ “Wow…”

“What?” Tom asked, a bit frantic.

“You are _very_ blessed, mister.” I grinned up at him. Tom blushed. “Please don’t be embarrassed, Tommy. I’m sorry.”

“No, no! I’m just…glad you…like it?” He chuckled. “That sounded weird. It was better in my head… But thanks, I guess.”

We spent a few more minutes fumbling around with our clothing and conversation. There were a lot of giggles and awkward pauses, but eventually, we were both ready to start. Tom handed me the condom. I rolled it onto his erection, and he whined at my touch.

“Did I do something wrong?”

“No, darling. No. It felt good.” Pleased with his answer, I gripped him lightly and started stroking him up and down. He bucked into my hand.

“Did that feel good, too?” I asked, nervous that I’d do something wrong. Tom just nodded and rolled his hips in time with my hand. I felt my stomach get hotter and hotter as I watched him move above me. _He’s so gorgeous_ , I thought. I throbbed for him.

“Can I…” Tom groaned and thrust his hips again. “Can I pleasure _you_ now?” I was surprised at his question. I hadn’t really been focusing on myself, and naturally, I didn’t think Tom would either.

“If you want to…”

“Jessie, of course I want to. Sex is supposed to be pleasurable for both people.”

“I know, I just… I never really thought about myself. I was always told that the girl is supposed to make sure her man is happy, and if he doesn’t reciprocate, then you just deal with it.” Tom stopped moving.

“That’s complete bull shit, Jessie.” He sat back on my thighs, and I propped myself up on my forearms to look at him. “Who told you that?”

“Taylor. And like, every other girl in our class.”

“They don’t know what they’re talking about. It’s supposed to be good for me _and_ you.”

“I just want to do a good job…”

“I know, Jessie. But don’t just worry about me. This is just as much about you as it is me.” Tom leaned forward and kissed my cheek. “Besides, our first time isn’t going to be the best.” He laughed. “Do you still want to try?” I thought for a moment.

“Yes.” Tom smiled down at me. “But, could we maybe move onto the bed? The floor’s kind of uncomfortable.”

“Of course, my darling.” Tom helped me up and he laid me back on the bed. He explained exactly what he was going to do, and he would only do what I wanted. He also said that he’d stop if I told him. I agreed, and we kissed again. Tom reached down and stroked himself to regain his erection.

“I heard it’s going to hurt. Is it going to hurt?”

“I mean, it might. But like I said, I’ll stop if you tell me to. And I’ll go slow.”

“Okay. Let’s do it.” Tom pressed his lips to my cheek, and then my throat, and then my shoulder. He moved back up and kissed my lips, searching through my mouth with his tongue again. My body tingled, and I wrapped my arms around his neck.

“Are you ready?” he asked. I nodded. “Spread your legs for me, darling.” I hesitated. This was a new level of intimacy. I wasn’t used to being completely exposed in front of someone.

“Just…promise you won’t leave if you don’t like it…” I pleaded.

“Jessie, we’re in my house. I’m not going anywhere,” he chuckled.

“You know what I mean.”

“I promise. I won’t even look if you don’t want me to.” Sighing, I spread my legs slowly and looked up at the ceiling.

“You’re divine.” I looked back up at him, and he smiled as wide as the ocean. “I’m going to slide inside you now. You’re sure you want to do this?”

“Yes, Tommy. I’m sure.”

“Tell me if it hurts, and I’ll stop.”


	15. Flashbacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that I've been away from this story for so long. I started college back in August and haven't been able to focus on my longer fics. I also kind of lost this one in the middle, but I'm trying to pick it back up and finish it. I've had the end done for quite some time, and I'm just trying to get to that point. Thank you all for bearing with me, and I'm sorry that this chapter is so short!

“Ready?” I asked, helping Tom into his peacoat.

“Only if you are,” he replied, buttoning the front closed. He offered his arm to me, and I took it gratefully. Since Tom's birthday was so close to Valentine's day, we decided to celebrate it on Valentine's Day at our favorite restaurant.

“What are you going to get?” I asked him.

“Why don’t you pick for me?”

“No! It’s your birthday. _You_ get to pick.” We walked down the sidewalk to his car. He opened the door for me, like the gentleman he always was, and I folded myself into the passenger seat.

"How about our favorite?" He asked, plopping into his seat. "I think sharing some Chicken Parmesan would make this the best birthday."

"You just want a _Lady and the Tramp_ moment, don't you?" I smirked.

"Pfft. What are you even talking about?" He smiled back. I kissed his cheek.

At the restaurant, the tables were almost all filled. Since we had dined there so many times, the owner always saved a table for us. We were like celebrities to him.

“Tom, I'm going to go to use the restroom quickly,” I announced. He nodded and smiled. I stood, smoothing the skirt to my dress out. I made my way across the restaurant to the bathrooms, then took a sharp turn toward the kitchen. “Hey, Katrin?” I asked the head chef.

“Yes?”

“It's Tom’s birthday. Do you think you could send out a special dessert? I know you guys don't do the birthday thing here, but I would really just appreciate something small, if it's not too much to ask.”

“I'll see what I can do, Jessica.” She smiled.

“Thank you so much!” I made my way back to the table when I heard words I thought I'd never hear again.

“I thought we had something special.” Something inside me cracked. I was close enough to our table that Tom watched it happen. I halted in the middle of the restaurant with a look of pure terror on my face. I could see Tom stand to help me, but I was already too far gone in the flashback to hear what he was saying.

_Derek’s hands gripped me harder._

_“Stop running from me.”_

_I tensed and tried to wrench my arms from his hands._

_“I thought we had something special.”_

_I couldn't get away from him. He muffled my scream before it could reach anyone within earshot._

_“Does he love you like I used to?”_

“Jessie,” Tom murmured firmly. I snapped out of my trance. “Jessie, what's wrong? What happened?” Tears streamed freely down my cheeks.

“I thought I heard…I thought…” Tom’s thumbs soothed the skin of my arms as he led me outside the restaurant.

“Darling, what happened in there?” Tom asked, drying my tears.

“Someone said something and it just… it took me back to the night of _Hamlet_.” I started shaking. I told myself it was from the cold, but I knew it wasn’t. “I heard him, and I know it wasn’t him.” Tom pulled me into his chest. “It felt so real, Tommy.” I sniffled and shivered in his arms. He shushed me and stroked my hair. “I’m sorry for ruining your birthday dinner.”

“You didn’t, Jessie.” He pulled back. “Your mental well being is more important to me than my birthday.”

We drove home in silence, Tom’s hand resting on my thigh and squeezing reassuringly. I sniffled and sobbed quietly all the way to his house. He got out of the car and opened my door, took my hand, and helped me up. I collapsed into him and clung to his chest. He shut the door and leaned back on the car and held me for a few, long minutes. He asked for my phone and texted my parents, telling them that I would be at his for the night.

“How have your therapy appointments been?” he asked as we trudged up to his bedroom. I stiffened. I hadn’t gone to see my therapist in weeks.

“Um… fine,” I sniffled and fell onto Tom’s mattress face-first.

“Just fine?”

“Mhm,” I mumbled into the pillows. There was a heavy silence between us. I knew he was skeptical.

“Jessie, have you been going to therapy?” He sat next to me. I just turned and looked at him. “Please, be honest with me.” I couldn’t lie to him. Not with that beautiful face.

“No.”

“Jessie…”

“I don’t like him.”

“What about him don’t you like?”

“He’s just… uncomfortable. I don’t like being around him.”

“Would you maybe feel better if I went with you to a session?”

“I don’t want to burden you.”

“You won’t. I promise.”

I sighed shakily. “Okay.” Tom smiled at me and helped me remove my coat. “Can I wear some of your stuff?” I asked. “I don’t have anything with me.”

“You really need to start keeping some stuff here,” he chuckled.

“Then what excuse would I use to wear your clothes?”

“You can wear my clothes any time.”

“Thanks.” I grabbed my jacket from the bed and took my phone from the pocket. “Oh, wait. I forgot to give you this.” Tom turned to look at me, and I handed him a small box.

“Darling, you didn’t have to.”

“I know. Open it.”He peeled off the wrapping paper and lifted the lid to reveal a silver watch. “It’s not much, but I thought I’d get you one since you’re always afraid of being late.”

“Thank you, Jessie. I love it.” He kissed my cheek.

“Happy birthday, Tommy.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace. He unclasped it and fastened it around my neck. I twiddled the tiny gold heart pendant between my fingers, in awe at it’s simple beauty.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Jessie.”


End file.
